IceHogs Approach Record Totals with Annual Jersey Auction

ROCKFORD, Ill.- The Rockford IceHogs held the team's annual live specialty jersey auction, presented by Insurance King, after their game on Sunday, Mar. 17 against the San Jose Barracuda. With proceeds benefitting the IceHogs Community Fund, a total of $66,200 was raised by the jersey auction.

The event also includes the 2nd Chance Jersey Auction/Raffle and other items auctioned off through the DASH auction platform. Including the online element to the event, money raised for the IceHogs Community Fund totals $78,022 as of Mar. 18 with several items still open for bidding.

Last season, the event raised $57,252 for the team's charitable arm. This season's total, including the online element to the event, is expected to surpass the previous team record of $80,124 that was set in 2018. Since the team's inception in 2000, over $1,282,000 has been raised through the annual jersey auction event for community initiatives in the Rockford region.

Last season, the IceHogs Community Fund raised over $275,000 during the 2022-’23 season, which allowed the Fund to award over $100,000 in grants, plus an additional $27,000 from the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, to nine local organizations for the 2023-24 grant cycle.

Those grants included:

• $34,000 (IceHogs Community Fund and Chicago Blackhawks Foundation) to Rockford Park District to support “Junior StreetHogs” outreach program focused on reducing barriers and increasing youth participation in hockey

• $20,000 (IceHogs Community Fund and Chicago Blackhawks Foundation) to Think Big! to increase the number of cohorts by two for the “Think Big! School of Business”

• $10,000 (IceHogs Community Fund) to VanVleet Family Foundation to fully fund participation costs for 67 kids to attend Fred VanVleet’s Summer Camp

• $10,000 (IceHogs Community Fund) to Rockford Park District to support its first ever "Buddy Hockey" program that seeks to help eliminate barriers that often prevent youth, teens, and adults with disabilities from learning to play the sport of ice hockey

• $10,000 (IceHogs Community Fund) to Rockford Hockey Club to help reduce season fees for players at the 8u level and increase participation at all levels

• $10,000 (IceHogs Community Fund) to Rock House Kids (RHK) to help serve a larger number of kids during RHK evening programs, including providing more meals and nutritious food options for all kids being served

• $10,000 (IceHogs Community Fund) to Rockford Razorbacks Lacrosse to provide dues and equipment assistance to 15 underserved kids

• $10,000 (IceHogs Community Fund) to the Oscar Mike Foundation to fully fund four disabled Veterans to participate in an Oscar Mike Illinois Adaptive Clinic

• $6,500 (IceHogs Community Fund) to The Greg Lindmark Foundation to generate awareness in the community about the no-cost special services the Foundation offers to local first responders

• $6,500 (IceHogs Community Fund) to Easterseals Serving Chicagoland and Greater Rockford to conduct full ASD diagnostic assessments for children ages 3-12

“Thanks to the grant from the IceHogs Community Fund, we will be able to eliminate the physical barriers and provide youth and teens in every neighborhood the chance to learn a sport they might not have thought was for them. This program will also build self-esteem, create an opportunity to work together as a team, and provide highly skilled instructors who are supportive mentors,” said Lamont Jones, Rockford Park District General Manager of Youth Sports Programs and Community Outreach.

"Our non-profit is built on the generosity of grants and donations, and none speak louder than those from organizations in our own community. It really drives home the message that the IceHogs truly care about our mission and want to make a real difference,” said Noah Currier, Founder, Oscar Mike Foundation.

“We are humbled by the support from the Rockford IceHogs,” said Dee Lacny, Executive Director of Rock House Kids. “Their genuine care for the Rockford community and the kids we serve at RHK is evident in more ways than one. The IceHogs are making a huge difference for Rockford's inner-city kids not only with their financial support to help feed our kids through this grant, but also by the players coming and hanging out with them and the donating of tickets so our kids can have the opportunity to experience something they would never have been able to otherwise.”

About IceHogs Community Fund
Since the Rockford IceHogs’ inception in 1999, the organization has operated a charitable arm that has supported organizations and causes in the greater Rockford region. Formerly known as the IceHogs Charitable Foundation, the IceHogs Community Fund, supported by the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, was officially established in 2022 with a focus on strengthening the IceHogs’ impact on the community by supporting initiatives that help make the Rockford region a better place to work, live, and play. Through partnerships with local organizations, the IceHogs Community Fund is dedicated to community outreach, social impact, and growing the game of hockey by working to broaden exposure and reduce barriers to the sport. In the 25-year history of the IceHogs organization, over $1.6 million has been contributed to support causes and organizations in the greater Rockford region.

To learn more about the IceHogs’ community initiatives, go to IceHogs.com/Community/ICF.