Coyle, Wagner Celebrate Halloween at Boys & Girls Club of Boston

BOSTON -
 
Bruins forwards Charlie Coyle and Chris Wagner joined Boston Police Commissioner William Gross in an outdoor, socially distanced event to celebrate Halloween with kids in the Roxbury community on Monday afternoon. Members of the Boston Police Hockey Team also participated in the Halloween celebration with the Boys & Girls Club of Boston's Orchard Gardens branch.
The event included pumpkin decorating, with pumpkins donated by Lambert's Fruit Center, Halloween music, and games, including street hockey with newly donated Bruins-themed Franklin equipment from the Boston Bruins Foundation and BFit program.
"It was awesome," said Wagner. "Obviously the Boys & Girls Club is a great place for these kids to come and hang out, paint pumpkins, shoot pucks…it's awesome to be with the kids and hopefully make an impact in the community."
"You've got to make the most of every situation," added Coyle. "Here we are having great time with the kids and running around playing games. Halloween theme with painting pumpkins, a little hockey, a lot of different activities. But still being safe and taking precautions but having a good time. It's been really fun for us to be part of it."

Gross, who potted a goal or two after some tips from Coyle and Wagner, was grateful for the players' efforts in giving back to the community.
"Charlie and Chris, thanks for the hockey lessons," Gross said with a smile. "You have some folks that are professional athletes that are out here in Roxbury dealing with our youth…and the club. That's great. You want to talk about giving back...thank you to the Bruins, you're our family - with the BFit program, as well as all the donations to the centers and schools for hockey equipment and really getting the youth involved.
"It's showing the people that part of our community policing model does include our professional sports teams and the Bruins have been right there from the beginning for us, showing that we're here to protect and serve the neighborhoods."
Boston Police Officer Matt Morrissey was among a group of BPD Hockey Team members that also took part in the festivities.
"Today's been awesome," said Morrissey, who helped plan the event and also captains the BPD Hockey Team. "We've done a lot of work with the Boys & Girls Club in the past and the Bruins as well. With everything going on it's been hard to figure out ways to make it happen but we were able to plan a socially distanced event and it was a blast to see these kids that we haven't seen for a while."