Five California-based American Hockey League teams – the Bakersfield Condors, Coachella Valley Firebirds, Ontario Reign, San Diego Gulls and San Jose Barracuda – have announced fundraising efforts to help those affected by the wildfires. -Los Angeles.
Clubs will work together to deliver donations to the Los Angeles area on Monday, January 20.
BAKERSFIELD
The Condors are on the road this week, but they have announced that they will be donating the proceeds from their January 24 auction to wildfire relief.
In addition, a portion of the ticket and merchandise sales from the Jan. 24 will go to local Bakersfield and Kern County firefighters and emergency responders dispatched to the Los Angeles area.
COACHELLA VALLEY
Last week, the Firebirds and One Valley Foundation pledged $10,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation to help those affected by the wildfires. An additional $7,000 was raised during Sunday afternoon’s game through the One Valley Foundation game auction.
The team also held a series of fundraising events this week outside Acrisure Arena, including before tonight’s game against Henderson. Fans are encouraged to donate essential items including baby diapers, phone chargers, socks, deodorant, toothbrush, dry shampoo, new bedding and pillows, and food items such as non-carbonated drinks, cases of water and Gatorade, dog food. , crackers, trail mix, fruit snacks, energy bars, pop-top tuna and chicken and protein-based snacks.
Beginning Tuesday, 50 percent of the proceeds from all tickets purchased for Thursday’s Firebirds game, both online and in person, will go toward fire relief and relief efforts.
ONTARIO
While Reign is the home team of the thriving Inland Empire region east of Los Angeles, it also has close ties to Los Angeles as an ambassador for the Kings. The team shares a practice facility at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, just south of Los Angeles International Airport, and Reign’s players and staff live mostly in the South Bay region of the Los Angeles area, a short distance from the Palisades fire.
At their home games last Friday and Sunday, the Reigns raised over $4,000 through their chuck-a-puck contest and silent auctions for the Hope Reigns Foundation. That money goes to World Central Kitchen, which provides free hot meals at more than 20 different locations.
The Reign have already scheduled their first weekend of home games this Saturday and Sunday. And with many local and state firefighters, rescue and police officers busy dealing with the ongoing fires, the team will see them at their February 23 home game.
The annual Reign’s Fire on Ice game is also scheduled for this Saturday, pitting the Ontario Fire Department against the New York Fire Department. The event will benefit the Ray Pfeifer Foundation on September 11 first responders and daughters of Ontario fire and emergency responders. Javan Settleswho died on the 19th of December.
SAN DIEGO
The Gulls collected donations for Wednesday’s home game against Iowa.
In addition, the group will hold an online fundraiser to benefit World Central Kitchen and the Los Angeles Fire Department. The San Diego Gulls Foundation will also match all donations up to $5,000 through Sunday.
SAN JOSE
The Barracuda don’t have a home game this week, but the charity arm, Beyond the Reef, has pledged all of the chuck-a-puck proceeds from their sold-out game in Jan. 10 to the LAFD Foundation; chuck-a-puck benefits from upcoming Jan. home games. 25 and 26 will also be offered.
Additionally, Sharks Ice in San Jose will set up non-perishable donation stations this week to collect food, personal care items, household goods, clothing and other supplies.
TheAHL.com contributing writer Patrick Williams to this story.
