NY Rangers and Chase Hockey Equipment Drive at Ebersole
New York Rangers legend Adam Graves had one of the most emotional evenings of his life when his jersey number nine was retried in a ceremony at Madison Square Garden, on February 3, 2009. Graves had an illustrious ten-year career with the Blueshirts from 1991-2001. He is presently a member of the Rangers Front Office in the capacity of Hockey and Business Operations.
Graves resided in White Plains for a couple of years during his NHL career. Two of his children were born at White Plains Medical Center and he has skated with his family at the Ebersole Ice Arena.
On Saturday, March 26, Graves returned to Ebersole, but this time not to skate. He was leading a community endeavor for the NY Rangers Assist Program. The Rangers and Chase Bank held an equipment drive contest in the Tri-State area to help expand the opportunities and accessibility for less fortunate children to play hockey.
Local Bantam aged (13-14 years old) hockey teams could enter the contest by organizing equipment drives in their communities for one month and dropping off the equipment at designated collection sites on March 26. Some of the equipment will assists the Ice Hockey in Harlem Program, sponsored by the NY Rangers.
“Being part of the community for me is one of the greatest gifts of being a National Hockey League player and more so of being a New York Ranger,” said Graves. “It is a great privilege to be in the Rangers and Madison Square Garden communities and it is great to have their support in a program like this, which gives other children that my not be as lucky as others, the chance to play hockey,” stated Graves, who signed autograph pictures and pucks and presented Rangers T-shirts to participants in the program.
The winners of the one month collection campaign will win an all-expenses paid trip to Sweden to experience the international culture and play a local Swedish youth hockey program in an exhibition game, while also hosting a “Try Hockey for Free” clinic during the five-day trip.
“We all live for our children and the trip to Sweden, it is a trip that is not only hockey; it is a cultural experience as well. We are trying to build capsules in life that the children work from and this is a great platform,” commented Graves.
The Rangers Assist Program supported by Chase was created in 2012, as a response to the damage that Hurricane Sandy caused to area hockey rinks. Thus far the program and has placed equipment donation bins in 30 rinks across the Tri-State area and has collected over 5000 pieces of equipment and raised $25,000 in donations for eight ice rinks and $5000 for four other rinks.
“Battle of Bravest”
As Adam Graves and his NY Rangers staff gathered hockey equipment to distribute to underprivileged youth in the Tri-State area, another annual local charity event shared the Ebersole Ice Rink to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley.
The 21st Annual “Battle of the Bravest” pitted the White Plains Firefighters versus the Westchester Firefighters, at the Ebersole Ice Rink, on Saturday. This year’s “Battle of the Bravest” was won by the Westchester Firefighters, 7-2.
However, this event is far from being about winning and losing, as the local firefighters gather with family, friends and their communities for an annual social occasion, while raising money for the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley.
“Everything is going great, the ticket sales are great and we have some great prizes to raffle off, we hope that we can raise a lot of money for the charity again this year,” stated White Plains Firefighter Brian Hickey, of Station 6, located on the corner Mamaroneck Avenue and Maple Avenue.
Some of the prizes offered at this year’s “Battle of the Bravest” was an Official NBA basketball autographed by NY Knicks Rookie Kristaps Porzingis, an autographed MLB baseball signed by NY Mets pitcher Jeurys Familla, a big screen television and autographed hockey jerseys, with all the proceeds from the raffles and ticket sales benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley.
When firefighter Hickey was asked before the “Battle of the Bravest” charity hockey game commenced, which firefighter team would win? He replied. “The Ronald McDonald House is going to win today the charity is going to win.” And it certainly did, thanks to the firefighters from the City of White Plains and Westchester County.
