TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On February 18, 2017 at Amalie Arena, hockey legends Dave Andreychuk of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Hall of Famer Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins, as well as other Lightning and Bruins alumni, will give an “assist” to the Ritchie Hockey Foundation, for Hockey Day in Tampa Bay. It’s a very first for Tampa Bay, and the day will be one filled with sport, fun, and purpose.
The Bolts and Bruins alumni are participating in events that raise funds to advance the foundation’s mission. We want to help shape the lives of tomorrow’s leaders by investing in deserving youth – kids who play their hearts out on the ice while building life skills. Proceeds of the ticket sales support the Jason Ritchie Hockey Foundation and will provide support for other local non-profits, such as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Guide the Thunder program.
Tickets for the event are currently on sale for $10 through Ticketmaster (Hockey Day in Tampa Bay) and will give hockey fans the chance to see their heroes on ice, including:
Lightning Alumni: Dave Andreychuk, Vincent Lecavalier, Ruslan Fedotenko, Fredrik Modin, Vinny Prospal, Brian Bradley, Dmitry Afanasnkov, Nikita Alexeev, Jassen Cullimore, Chris Dingman, Stan Neckar and Paul Ysebaert
Bruins Alumni: Ray Bourque, Terry O’Reilly, Al Iafrate, Bruce Shoebottom, Frank Simonetti, Rick Middleton, Ken Linseman, Bob Sweeney, Tim Sweeney, Cleon Daskalakie, Mike Mottau and Dan LaCouture
The inaugural hockey game will be preceded by a golf tournament on Friday Feb. 17, will be held at TPC Tampa Bay, a Golf Digest 4.5 star-rated course that has also been named one of the top five golf courses in Florida by Florida Golf Magazine.
“Hockey was what Jason loved. This foundation was established to help deserving youth who share his same passion for the sport,” said Donna Ritchie, president and founder of The Ritchie Hockey Foundation and Jason’s mother. Since the Foundation was founded in 2009, the foundation has raised in excess of $750,000.
“We’re thrilled that the Tampa Bay Lightning Alumni and Boston Bruins Alumni, along with so many generous members of the community, have joined with us to honor Jason by helping youth hockey players,” said Bob Ritchie. “We’ve hosted events like this in the Boston area, where Jason attended prep school, and we’re proud to expand the foundation’s reach by hosting this year’s events in Tampa.”
The Ritchie Hockey Foundation provides scholarships to aspiring youth hockey players who otherwise would not have the opportunity to excel scholastically and athletically. It teaches important life strengths such as character, selflessness, and drive, using the same skills that are required in hockey – persistence, teamwork, and commitment. The Ritchie Hockey Foundation is funded exclusively by individual and corporate donations as well as grant funding from other services.
For more information about the Boston Bruins Alumni versus Tampa Bay Lightning Alumni hockey event on Feb. 18, as well as the golf tournament on Feb. 17, please visit http://www.boltsbruins.com/.
For more information about The Jason Ritchie Hockey Foundation, please visit http://ritchiehockeyfoundation.org/. They Play Their Hearts Out. Let’s Support Them.
About The Ritchie Hockey Foundation (RHF)
The Ritchie Hockey Foundation (RHF), was established by the Ritchie family in memory of Jason Ritchie who found solace and purpose on the ice. More than just a sport, hockey taught him invaluable life lessons, especially the importance of teamwork, accountability and dedication. After his passing in 2009, his parents wanted to honor his legacy by launching a foundation that uses hockey to help other youth discover and live up to their potential.
The RHF helps to shape the lives of tomorrow’s leaders by investing in deserving youth recognizing that hockey builds -- Character, Commitment, Teamwork, Persistence, Selflessness, Academic Excellence and Sportsmanship. The JRHSF is funded exclusively by individual and corporate donations as well as grant funding from other sources.
