MINNESOTA WILD COMMUNITY REPORT 2018-2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 2 Our Players and Their Families Serving Our Community My family and I love being a part of this community. We’ve now had the great fortune to be a small part of it for more than a Page 8 decade. Wow! I think someone did say that time flies when you’re having fun. Yes, being a part of a big-league market like the Twin Cities and the State of Hockey IS a lot of fun. And it also offers big-time Sustainability opportunities to give back. What our fans give to us, the love and passion for the Wild, we aim to earn every day, and pay it back. Page 16 On the ice, we’re working hard at it. We work just as hard off the ice – all around the community. Everyone in our organization has a role, from our players to our staff. Page Hockey Partnerships Please take a few moments to review this Annual Report on our Community and Foundation efforts. You can look at this as your 17 prospectus, if you will, on the return on investment in the community that the Wild brings. We’re proud of all of the programs and initiatives. Page Supporting Our Troops Since its inception in 2000, the Minnesota Wild and the Minnesota Wild Foundation have invested nearly $19 million back into 24 our community through direct giving, in-kind donations and service. Minnesota Wild players and front office staff are deeply committed to giving back to the community that has shown so much support for the team over the past 19 years. And we will continue our hard work and dedication to positively impact the lives of children and families across all corners of the state for Page Education 28 many years to come. Thanks for helping us Create a Greater State of Hockey! Page Diversity and Inclusion Sincerely, 31 Page Minnesota Wild Foundation 34 Craig Leipold OUR PLAYERS AND THEIR FAMILIES Throughout the 2018-2019 season, Minnesota Wild players and their families were very generous with their time and monetary support of many worthy causes and local charities. Players donated skating experiences to local fundraisers, hosted post-game meet-and-greets with fans, made monetary contributions to hospitals and charities, hosted signings to benefit worthy causes and volunteered their time throughout the year. Mikko and Helena Koivu Mikko and Helena Koivu are proud supporters of, and frequent visitors to, Children’s Minnesota. The Koivus have sponsored two patient rooms at Children’s Minnesota in St. Paul, both rooms decorated with Minnesota Wild memorabilia. Mikko also has his own locker in the Kids’ Zone on the St. Paul campus featuring Mikko’s jersey and hockey gear. Zach and Alisha Parise Zach and Alisha Parise are generous supporters of many local charities with particular focus on Children’s Minnesota. The Parise family sponsored a patient room at Children’s St. Paul, make regular visits to patients on both campuses, and host patient and family events. The Parises also donated a monthly family ticket package last season which included Wild game tickets, pre-game dinner, a Wild gift pack and a post-game meet-and-greet OUR PLAYERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND PLAYERS OUR with Zach. Zach and Alisha also donated a skating party to benefit patients THEIR FAMILIES AND PLAYERS OUR at Children’s Minnesota. Jason and Carly Zucker Jason and Carly Zucker celebrated the opening of the Zucker Family Suite and Broadcast Studio at the University Ryan and Becky Suter of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital on November 26, 2018. The Zucker Family Suite and Broadcast Studio Ryan and Becky Suter are exceptional volunteers and fundraisers for Ronald is a place where families and kids can go to watch games, record TV shows or radio segments, and escape, McDonald House Charities (RMHC) – Upper Midwest. The Suters hosted the if only for a couple hours, from their hospital rooms. To date, Jason and Carly Zucker have raised over $1.2 4th Annual “Skate with the Greats” presented by RBC Wealth Management to million through their #GIVE16 campaign. Jason also served as a team ambassador for the NHL’s “Hockey Is For benefit RMHC. The event included the chance to skate with Ryan and several Everyone” campaign in March. of his Wild teammates, get autographs and photos and tour the Wild locker The NHL named Jason Zucker as the recipient of the 2019 King Clancy Memorial Trophy during the 2019 NHL room. Ryan also actively supports youth hockey and is dedicated to growing Awards. The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on the game by running Learn to Skate programs and hockey camps at Bob and off the ice and has made noteworthy humanitarian contributions in his community. In Jason’s honor, the Suter’s Capitol Ice Arena in Madison, WI each summer. National Hockey League Foundation donated $40,000 to the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. 2 3 Matt Dumba Wild defenseman Matt Dumba was a generous supporter of ACES (Athletes Committed to Educating Students) during the 2018-2019 season. ACES is an out-of-school program that focuses on using sports as a hook to get kids excited about math and social-emotional learning. Matt volunteered at local schools and various outreach events, participated in e-mentoring, and helped raise over $310,000 at the annual ACES All-Star Evening. Dumba also helped 12-year-old Kalei Forga, an elite youth hockey player from Forest Lake, MN fulfill her dream of representing Minnesota and her country by playing on a World Selects team. Kalei needed to raise money in order for her and her family to make the 10-day European trip with the team. Matt made a generous donation and provided social media exposure about Kalei’s GoFundMe account, both of which helped the Forga family achieve their goal of watching Kalei play against some of the best young players in the world. Marcus and Natascia Foligno Marcus and Natascia Foligno, along with Marcus’s brother, Nick, captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, created the Janis Foligno Foundation in loving memory of their mother, Janis Foligno. Janis passed away in 2009 after a courageous battle with breast cancer. The Folignos are devoted to fundraising for the fight against cancer, working closely with local organizations to ensure the funding is used to bring us closer to finding a cure. Greg and Stefani Pateryn Greg and Stefani Pateryn, along with Minnesota Wild players, coaches and staff, donated new and gently used coats to The Salvation Army. Fans were also invited to donate coats at the Minnesota Wild – Montreal Canadiens game on December 11, 2018. Pateryn delivered the coats to The Salvation Army, who in turn distributed the OUR PLAYERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND PLAYERS OUR coats at their many shelters and service centers throughout the Twin Cities last winter. In total, Pateryn and THEIR FAMILIES AND PLAYERS OUR his Wild teammates and fans donated over 500 coats to The Salvation Army. Eric and Tanya Staal Eric and Tanya Staal, along with Eric’s three brothers, Jordan, Marc and Jared, make life better for children and families battling cancer. The Staal Family Foundation works as a team to support children battling cancer so that they can enjoy enriched lives. The Foundation raises funds and provides financial support to children’s organizations where they live and work, including the State of Hockey. All funds raised by the Staal Family Foundation are distributed directly to the local projects they support. 4 5 Hospital Visits Minnesota Wild players, coaches and staff made several visits to local hospitals this past season, including Children’s Minnesota, University of Minnesota Masonic Matt and Kim Hendricks Children’s Hospital, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, Matt and Kim Hendricks actively supported charities Regions Hospital, Minneapolis VA Health Care System and and families across the State of Hockey last season. more. The hospital visits gave players the opportunity Through their family charity, Hendricks’ Heroes, Matt to interact with patients and their families by signing worked closely with the United Heroes League, a local autographs, taking photos and playing video games. military charity that ensures military family members are afforded the opportunity to participate in sports. The Hendricks family also donated a monthly ticket package to honor the men and women serving in our military. Operation Christmas Child Minnesota Wild players, coaches and their families packed shoe boxes with toys, school supplies and hygiene items for children in need around the world at their annual team Christmas party. Operation Christmas Child and Samaritan’s Purse donated 11 million shoe boxes to over 150 countries in 2018 giving joy to children across the world. Women’s Advocates The Minnesota Wild and the Wild Better Halves teamed up to raise funds and awareness for Women’s Advocates, OUR PLAYERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND PLAYERS OUR the first shelter in the nation for women and their children THEIR FAMILIES AND PLAYERS OUR escaping domestic violence. Located in St. Paul, Women’s Advocates provides services to an average of 50 women and children on a daily basis. The Wild Better Halves hosted a Favorite Things basket auction raising over $5,000 for Women’s Advocates. Wild players and their HopeKids Suite significant others also purchased, prepared and served In partnership with HopeKids, Matt Dumba and Nino a Valentine’s Day dinner for the residents at the shelter. Niederreiter invited families with children battling a life-threatening illness to enjoy a Minnesota Wild home game.