Hiway has been honored with the Minnesota Wild’s “Nordy” Award for Partner Community Engagement. Hiway’s Hockey Kids4Kids fundraising initiative, along with the St. Paul-based credit union’s support for the NHL’s Zebras Care program, are two initiatives highlighted by the Wild during the organization’s annual Corporate Partnership Summit recently held at the NHL team’s St. Paul offices.
“Hiway has a long-standing commitment to the communities that we serve, and it’s an honor to be recognized for our work,” said Hiway CEO/President Dave Boden. “Credit unions have always been about people helping people, and Hockey Kids4Kids and Zebras Care support causes particularly important to Hiway: Gilette Children’s and our military families, respectively.”
Hiway Hockey Kids4Kids inspires youth hockey teams to community service by encouraging them to develop creative fundraisers on behalf of Gillette Children’s, helping kids who may not be able to play hockey due to complex medical conditions or injuries. The innovative program is a collaboration between Hiway, the Minnesota Wild, Wild Captain Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Hockey and Gillette Children’s in Saint Paul. Since the program’s inception, dozens of teams and hundreds of youth hockey players have raised over $130,000 for Gillette Children’s. Any team raising $500 or more is eligible for the Hockey Kids4Kids grand prize drawing with the winning team getting to attend a Minnesota Wild game in a suite and getting the opportunity to meet some of the Minnesota Wild players.
Zebras Care is a partnership between the Minnesota Wild, the NHL, the NHL Officials Association and the Minnesota Military Family Assistance Center. Once a month, Zebras Care provides an opportunity for a family of active duty or deployed service people to enjoy a Minnesota Wild hockey game and a pre-game meet and greet with the NHL officials. The family members also receive a gift bag with some Minnesota Wild and Hiway co-branded gear.
