Thursday, January 12, 2012, Featured Articles, Bellmore Life
Hockey game turns into fundraiser
Merrick Lions' Purple Heart Pups Hockey fundraiser is a success.
VETERAN FUNDRAISERS: Purple Hearts Pups members mingle with Merrick Lions Clubs members during Monday night’s Bulldogs hockey game at Newbridge Arena. From left are Linda Colasuonno, Kevin Hofmann, Mitch Barber, Christine Gruter, Michael Gruter, Audrey Shapiro, Steve Popple, Ken Bornstein and Lisa Siano. Shown are pups Samson and Blitzen. Merrick Life photo by Douglas Finlay
LEADING THE WAY: The Calhoun Leadership Club is sponsoring and raising funds for the Purple Hearts Pups this semester. They appeared at the CHSD Bulldogs hockey game Monday night (see front page) at Newbridge Arena selling T-shirts and other memorabilia in support of American veterans. Members include, from left, Advisor Brian Joyce, Kelsey Cotton, Sarah Brinsley, Athena Psyllis, Melanie Bleiberg, Kelly Connell, Valerie Monsen, Arooj Iqbal, Elise Rooney, Carley Salomon, Danny Chesley, Gianna Saladino and Nick Abbene. Merrick Life photo by Douglas Finlay.
A fundraiser broke out at a hockey game on Monday night at Newbridge Arena.
While the CHSD Bulldogs worked all game to secure a tie against Jericho, salvaging a week in which they lost to Great Neck the night before, the Merrick Lions Club was also in full force raising funds for the Purple Heart Pups.
Purple Heart Pups is the veterans fundraising arm of the Lions Club, a club that was formed only last year. The Purple Heart Pups raises funds for veterans returning from combat who are disabled and need assistance readjusting back to civilian life.
Purple Hearts raises funds for America’s Vet Dogs, for example, which provides dogs for disabled vets who are blind or are amputees. America’s Vet Dogs was founded by the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind.
Purple Hearts also raises funds for the National Amputee Foundation, which mentors and serves veterans who have lost limbs in combat during America’s wars. This foundation has been in existence since World War I.
The Lions Club was holding raffles in hopes of raising over $1,000 for the night. This is the second fundraiser the Purple Heart Pups have held at a Bulldog hockey game for veterans. It raised over $1,000 last year.
Lions Club member Mitch Barber told this newspaper that his son used to play for the Bulldogs, and now plays college hockey. He said he approached Bulldog Coach Chris Patten in 2010 about the possibility of doing a fundraiser for veterans during a Bulldogs game, and got implicit approval from the coach.
“Many Bulldogs players have teachers who are veterans, and the players have great respect for them,” said Mr. Barber.
The fundraising fever has also reached the Calhoun Leadership Club, which has been raising funds for the Purple Heart Pups all semester, said Brian Joyce, the club’s advisor.
Lisa Siano, chairperson of the Purple Heart Pups, said that Nick Abbene, captain of the Bulldogs, approached the club to ask them to consider sponsoring the Pups for a semester.
The Purple Heart Pups wishes to thank several sponsors for their generous donations toward the raffle. Local vendors include Ace Wines & Spirits, Bagel Plaza, Brands Cycle, CoreRyder Spinning Studio of Merrick, Forest Hills Financial Group, Fontana Studios, From Me To You, Gateway Motor Inn, GrillFire Restaurant, InMotion, Life Styles, makeup artist Marilyn Carminio, Matty’s Toy Shop, Metromodes Salon, Merrick Cinemas, Moo La La, New York Islanders, Piccolo Ristoranté, Rose Ott Interiors and the Wing Zone.
A special thanks also goes to Bulldogs Coaches Chris Patten, Michael Hagens and Lee Mattes, and the three high school principals, Michael Harrington of Mepham, Lorraine Poppe of Kennedy and David Seinfeld of Calhoun, as well as the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Board of Education, Dr. Matthew Kuschner, president.
The Purple Hearts Pups’ next fundraiser is the Purple Heart Pups Dog Walk on Sunday, June 3.
Visit www.purpleheartspups.org or visit the Facebook page.
