Pittsburgh Penguins In The Community:
The Pittsburgh Penguins are proud to be an active partner with numerous charitable organizations in our local community each year. We are honored to help raise support, funds and awareness for a variety of causes throughout the region. During the 2011-12 hockey season, the Pittsburgh Penguins players, front office staff, Penguins Wives Association, Alumni members, and Penguins Booster Club look forward to hosting the following events:
Score One For Life Blood Drive: Since 1992, the Pittsburgh Penguins have hosted an annual blood drive in an effort to save lives. This team tradition has netted more than 13,931 units of blood which has served 41,793 patients in the past 19 years.Every two seconds, someone in the United States is in need of blood and more than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day. Through the Score one for Life Blood Drive, the Pittsburgh Penguins and American Red Cross are able to assist people in great need.
We hope that Penguins fans will help make this October’s collection the best yet and encourage fans to participate!
Score Against Hunger Food Collection: Since 1992, the Pittsburgh Penguins have hosted annual food drives to help the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank feed the hungry at local community shelters and food pantries where the need for food has increased tremendously over the past year.
Each November, we encourage fans to bring a non-perishable food item or make a monetary donation before a select home game. All food items and funds are used by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to help local people in need.
Pittsburgh Penguins Toy Drive: Each season, fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy or make a cash donation to help purchase toys for underprivileged children in the Pittsburgh area when the Penguins host toy drives at two consecutive home games.
The Penguins Wives Association and Penguins Booster Club join forces with the U.S. Marine Corps at CONSOL Energy Center gates for the benefit of the Toys For Tots program. Following these collections, the Marines distribute the toys or use the monetary contributions to purchase additional toys for needy children in the community and deliver a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters.
Red Kettle Campaign : Nearly 29 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a broad array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children.
Each season, the Pittsburgh Penguins assist The Salvation Army through donations of autographed memorabilia and an in-game collection. Volunteers from The Salvation Army set up their iconic red kettles inside at the gates of CONSOL Energy Center and accept monetary donations of any amount before a December home game.
Children’s Book Collection: The Pittsburgh Penguins believe strongly in the importance of education and literacy is fundamental to learning.
To help foster an appreciation for books and a love of reading, the Pittsburgh Penguins host a children’s book collection during a March home game for the benefit of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Donations of new or gently used books are used by Carnegie Library branches in the Pittsburgh area to support summer reading programs for children of all ages. If fans opt to make a monetary donation, those funds are used by Carnegie Library to purchase additional new books.
Penguins Support the United Way: The Pittsburgh Penguins have partnered with Highmark to make a $25,000 contribution to the local chapter of the United Way. Highmark employees serve as volunteers at CONSOL Energy Center gates prior to Penguins games to pass out promotional items as fans enter the building.
To support the United Way’s host of social service programs and as an expression of appreciation to Highmark employees, the Penguins organization then presents a donation check to the United Way agency.
Hockey Fights Cancer: Each October, the Pittsburgh Penguins participate in Hockey Fights Cancer, a National Hockey League-wide initiative which raises money to support national and local cancer research institutions, Children’s Hospitals, player charities and local cancer organizations.
The Penguins promote Hockey Fights Cancer during October games through in-game announcements, information available about cancer awareness and ways for fans to donate to the NHL’s program. Penguins’ players also wear special Hockey Fights Cancer decals on their helmets in support.
During the team’s special Hockey Fights Cancer game night, the emphasis is amped up to a new level as every facet of the organization lends a hand. Penguins coaching staff, hockey management, broadcasters and staff will wear a distinctive Hockey Fights Cancer tie or lapel pin and CONSOL Energy Center will include many purple accents as the Hockey Fights Cancer program is spotlighted.
Also, the American Cancer Society, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and UPMC Cancer Centers host tables on the concourse to promote education and awareness of the disease. Ice Crew presented by Highmark members wrap their ice cleaning tools in purple ribbon and don purple accessories.
Off Ice:
Not all of the Penguins’ activities are held at CONSOL Energy Center. The majority of our signature events are away from the arena.
We host a number of charity auctions or online fundraisers throughout the year, but also interact directly with our local community in a variety of ways.
Since 2007, Penguins players have visited Pittsburgh’s Hill District to help the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank distribute food to residents in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Money collected from the Penguins’ annual Score Against Hunger Food Drive helps purchase the food that the players pass out and gives disadvantaged people the “fixings” to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Also since 2007, the Pittsburgh Penguins staff has brightened seniors’ holidays with Operation Shoebox. Staff members from all departments of the Penguins’ organization donate beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts for the senior residents of local assisted living communities. Before Christmas, the Penguins front office staff then visits the assisted living facility to distribute the gifts to those residents.
Each playoff season, the Penguins invite fans to “grow one for the team” and participate in the National Hockey League’s annual Beard-A-Thon fundraiser. This event gives fans an opportunity to grow a playoff beard of their own, or pledge a Penguins celebrity, and raise money for charity.
