Kids returning to school following summer break have enough to worry about, and having the proper clothes to wear shouldn’t cause additional stress.
The Arizona Coyotes, along with Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, wanted to make sure of that.
Community volunteers, including Coyotes players Liam O’Brien and Travis Boyd, met at Kohl’s Ahwatukee on Saturday to help children shop for items from their back-to-school lists. 80 kids from various clubs around The Valley were hand selected to participate in the event, providing them and their families with assistance as they return to school.
Each child received a 150 dollar Kohl’s gift card, provided by the Arizona Coyotes.
Nadia Rivera, the Coyotes’ Chief Impact Officer and Executive Director of Foundation & Community Impact, said Saturday’s event highlights the Arizona Coyotes Foundation’s mission, and it was even more meaningful considering the long pause in public events during the pandemic. It was the first time since 2019 that the event was held due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Rivera also shopped with a child on Saturday.
“The kids have social pressure and academic pressure, so for some kids the clothes that they wear is an extra layer of stress because it can be a visible sign of poverty, and that detracts from their ability to pay attention in the classroom, make friends , and really put themselves out for opportunities to grow,” she said. “That’s what this is about. It’s about a little bit of confidence to really focus on what they need to be focusing on — the important stuff.”
In addition to the gift card, Sam Fowler, Vice President of Development and Strategy for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valleysaid participating kids will also receive a backpack full of school supplies to assist with the upcoming school year.
According to its website, the organization serves 56,000 youths each year, and seeks to empower children in need to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible members of the community.
Saturday’s attendees arrived together from various parts of the Phoenix area, and enjoyed various hockey-themed games, music, and time with Coyotes mascot Howler in addition to shopping for clothes.
“These are families that are struggling, who are really trying to make ends meet through the pandemic and everything else,” Fowler said. “We couldn’t do this without the Arizona Coyotes. To see this many smiles, and this many happy stories that are about to take place, it’s big.”
The event didn’t just impact the kids in the program, though. It also left its mark on those who volunteered their time to help.
O’Brien, for example, is one of the Coyotes’ most feared enforcers when on the ice. The 6-foot-1 forward takes it upon himself to stick up for his teammates and is a key part of the club’s tough-nosed, hard-working identity.
Off the ice, though, his heart is as big as the hits he throws while on it.
“It’s always great when you can put a smile on any of these kids’ faces,” O’Brien said. “Whether it’s here, or whether it’s at the arena with simple gestures, I think it makes a big difference, and it brings love and positivity in the world.”
Boyd shared that sentiment and stressed that he and his teammates are eager to use the platform they have as professional athletes to make a difference.
“I think it’s one of the cooler parts about being in this situation that Liam and I are in,” he said. “Any time you can come out and do something like this and give back, it obviously feels good, but also at the same time we’re just trying to positively impact the community that we’re in.”
Boyd, O’Brien, and other Coyotes staff volunteers were joined by various other Boys & Girls Clubs partners, but community members also took note to volunteer and gave up a Saturday morning for the sake of giving back.
Andrea Bucci, who lives in Ahwatukee and heard about the event through Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, said she was excited for the opportunity to give back.
“I love the opportunity, and it’s so awesome that the Coyotes did this,” she said. “I like to shop, I like kids, and this is perfect. I think I would do this every year — I’ll be back.”
The Coyotes Foundation plans to host even more events like this in the future, especially as the summer months give way to the fall holiday season.
Now that the club will be playing its games in Tempe at Arizona State’s new multipurpose arena, it has also been working closely with the Tempe Diablos and Tempe elementary schools to identify other opportunities to help support the surrounding community.
“The Arizona Coyotes have been one of our partners for a long time, and they have been incredible at reaching out to our kids,” Fowler said. “They’ve had our kids at games, they’ve had players at our branches, and they’ve had their street hockey team come out and teach our kids how to play.
“The Coyotes have just been a phenomenal partner of ours for years, and we couldn’t be more excited for them to be moving even closer to our home base.”
Rivera said additional community-focused events like food drives, turkey drives for Thanksgiving, and toy drives for the holidays are just snapshots of the types of things the Coyotes Foundation hopes to contribute throughout the upcoming season.
Saturday’s event was a prime example of the difference the Coyotes hope to continually make in the lives of Arizona residents.
“It’s about the community because it’s showing these kids that it’s not just their parents, it’s not just their grandparents, it’s not just their teachers, and it’s not just the people at the clubs who care for them,” Rivera said. “It’s the whole community out there that’s rooting for them.
“It’s about showing them that we’re all here for you.”
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