WHL Community Collective: Seattle Thunderbirds
The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming community across our 22 clubs scattered throughout Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every team is given the creative freedom to allow their players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate towards. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.
Through the WHL Community Collective we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club over the course of the year.
This is what the Seattle Thunderbirds’ #WHLCommunity looked like this season:
Community initiatives did not take a back seat during the Seattle Thunderbirds’ WHL Championship-winning season. Instead, the Club based out of Kent, Wash. continued to build and strengthen their relationships in the community en route to capturing their second Ed Chynoweth Cup in May.
This included the Thunderbirds on-going sponsorship with BECU, a member-owned, not-for-profit credit union located across Washington State.
The sponsorship, which returned for the 2022-23 season, focused on Thunderbirds fans who are current members or veterans of the U.S. Military.
Known as the BECU Military Member of the Night, the campaign aims to celebrate and show thanks to military members by having them enter to win complimentary tickets to a Thunderbirds home game.
At each home game during the regular season, a total of 34 military personnel and three of their guests were welcomed into the Accesso shoWare Center for a Thunderbirds game.
During the game, the Club took time to introduce and honour the selected Military Member of the Night. The gesture was always followed up with a standing ovation and a round of applause from the rowdy, home crowd.
The 34 military members are also featured on the Thunderbirds website with a brief bio stating when they first joined the military, why they enlisted, how long they have been members, and where they have been deployed.
On a more personal note, Thunderbirds’ off-ice official, David Carr, was honoured by the Club when he was named BECU Military Member of the Night in early March. Carr, who is a former First Sergeant, spent 34 years with the U.S. Military, including four years in the Marines, four years in the Army, and 26 years in the Washington National Guard before retiring in 2017.
Tonight’s @BECU Military Member of the Game is one of our off ice officials!
Former First Sergeant David Carr served 34 years in the armed forces ???????? pic.twitter.com/eFhtqf7rny
— Seattle Thunderbirds (@SeattleTbirds) March 6, 2023
Along with the Military Member of the Night gesture, the Thunderbirds and BECU teamed up for a second military-inspired campaign, dubbed ‘Saves for Everyone For Veterans.’
With the help of Seattle’s netminders, Thomas Milic and Scott Ratzlaff, BECU agreed to donate one dollar to Everyone For Veterans (E4V) for every save made during a home game.
At the conclusion of the regular season, Milic and Ratzlaff combined to raise $3,000 for E4V.
This past Friday, BECU donated $3,000 to @everyoneforvets.
Thank you @BECU for supporting this great cause and being a part of the Thunderbirds family! pic.twitter.com/KWNWGmxQ1j
— Seattle Thunderbirds (@SeattleTbirds) March 21, 2023
With many U.S. Military personnel calling the Washington area home, and as a sign of thanks for their bravery, contribution, and service, the military-themed initiatives is something the Club is proud of and deeply cherishes.
Loading ...