Thunder Raises Over $40,000 For Charity

Published on May 30, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder has announced the organization has helped donate over $40,000 in cash, tickets and memorabilia to over 100 local charitable and community organizations during the 2005-06 season.

The most successful charity fundraiser by the team during the season was the "Miracle on Ice" jersey auction held on Sunday, February 26 following the Thunder/San Diego Gulls game. The auction, featuring specially reproduced 1980 U.S.A. Olympic jerseys worn by the players for a weekend, raised over $30,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Friends for Stephen Foundation. The top jerseys in the auction, each going for $6,000, were those of defenseman Jason Metcalfe (23) and goaltender Jake Moreland (1).

The Thunder also raised over $1,500 for the Sunrise Little League with a jersey raffle in March. The team raffled off former Thunder forward Steve Slonina's (5) jersey to raise money to help the Sunrise Little League with their field rebuilding project.

In addition to the traditional donations of tickets and memorabilia, in December over 1,000 coats were collected as part of this year's Coats For Kids Drive with partners AAA, KB Home, News10, and the Salvation Army. The coats were distributed by the Salvation Army to families throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

In January, Thunder fans embraced a classic hockey tradition - the "teddy bear toss." During the Thunder's January 28 home game against the Long Beach Ice Dogs, over 3,300 bears were collected by the Thunder and the United Way as part of a promotion with News10, Jackson Rancheria, California Water Service, and KAT Country. The bears were then distributed to local charities, including the Children's Museum of Stockton which is now the home of the largest bear collected that night.

While the primary focus for the team's philanthropic efforts have been local, fans also opened their hearts and wallets to donate money to the national hurricane relief effort when the Stanley Cup made its first Stockton Arena appearance on January 28. Thunder fans donated over $500 dollars to the cause as part of the Cup's tour through ECHL cities in 2005-06.

An ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes, the Thunder drew 228,364 fans to Stockton Arena in its inaugural season, the ECHL's best attendance mark for 2005-06.

Thunder season tickets for the 2006-07 season are on-sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonthunder.com.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



ECHL Stories from May 30, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central