IceHogs Community Fund Awards Grants to Support Two Rockford Park District Programs

The Rockford IceHogs Community Fund has awarded two grants to support Rockford Park District programs, and both are renewal grants for programs supported by the IceHogs Community Fund during the 2023-24 grant term.

The first is a $13,000 grant to the RPD’s Junior StreetHogs, an outreach program designed to eliminate barriers that often prevent children from learning to play the sport of ice hockey. Last year, the grant dollars funded the purchase of a 70-foot by 35-foot inflatable street hockey rink and covered the costs for staffing, equipment, and transportation of the rink to numerous events and locations in the greater Rockford region. Last year, the Rockford Park District estimates around 7,000 kids participated in street hockey in the inflatable rink, engaging with RPD instructors and coaches. This year’s grant will continue to fund staffing for the program to support the expansion of the Junior StreetHogs with a goal of reaching over 10,000 participants.

“This grant from the IceHogs allows the sport of hockey to be played outside without the ice, reducing barriers to entry and allowing hockey to be introduced without the frustration of learning how to skate,” said Lamont Jones, Rockford Park District General Manager, Youth Sports Programs & Community Outreach. “We are excited to get going on year two of the program and look forward to exposing more kids to the sport of hockey.”

The second grant award is a $10,000 renewal supporting the RPD’s Buddy Hockey program which is designed to introduce the sport of hockey to individuals with disability related needs. Over the last year, 26 participants, including children and adults, were introduced to a new sport that they may not have been able to try otherwise, and with additional grant support this year the RPD hopes to increase participation at all age levels.

“Our ‘Buddy’ programs allow individuals with disabilities to show and demonstrate to others that they are capable of learning and playing new sports,” said Jones. “We have seen great success with our Buddy Baseball and Buddy Basketball programs as they entered years two and three. With this continued support from the IceHogs, we are confident we can grow the interest and participation in Buddy Hockey as we head into year two.”

“The IceHogs Community Fund is dedicated to growing the game of hockey and these Rockford Park District programs play a vital role in helping introduce more people in our community to our great game,” said Dave Costello, Manager of Marketing and Community Relations, Rockford IceHogs.

These two Rockford Park District grants are part of $133,000 in grants the IceHogs Community Fund will award to nine organizations and ten unique programs for the 2024-25 grant cycle. The IceHogs Community Fund previously announced $20,000 grant awards for the Rockford Hockey Club and the Rockford Area Arts Council, and a $10,000 grant to the Rockford Raptors Soccer Foundation.

Additional grant award announcements from the IceHogs Community Fund will be forthcoming this summer.

About the IceHogs Community Fund

The IceHogs Community Fund (ICF), supported by the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, is invested in making a positive social impact by supporting initiatives that will help make the Rockford region a better place to work, live, and play. Through partnerships with local organizations, the ICF is dedicated to growing the game of hockey by working to broaden exposure and reduce barriers to the sport.

The ICF raises funds throughout the year in a variety of ways, including specialty jersey auctions as well as gameday sales of 50/50 raffle tickets and Chuck-A-Pucks.

About Rockford Park District

The Rockford Park District improves the quality of life for citizens by providing a vibrant park system that increases property values, stimulates economic development, decreases juvenile crime, and improves our communities’ health. A vibrant and relevant park system also protects the environment, employs hundreds of area teens, and brings our diverse community together in unity through the common love of play.