Capitals Announce Inaugural Capital Impact Fund Beneficiaries

The Washington Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) Foundation announced today the organization's inaugural Capital Impact Fund beneficiaries. The Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Program, Players Against Hate, Positive Coaching Alliance, The Tender Bridge - Baltimore Banners and the Tucker Road Parent Hockey Organization are the five Washington, D.C., area nonprofits that will receive $10,000 each. The organizations were selected by the Capitals based on their missions and impact toward diversity in hockey, as well as on their plans to use the funding to further advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the sport.
In addition, the organization also announced details on how to apply for the second cycle of the
Capital Impact Fund
grant.

In 2020 the Capitals organization and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation created the Capital Impact Fund to provide grants to organizations that can assist in eliminating cost barriers faced by individuals of color in the hockey community. The Washington Capitals and MSE Foundation Capital Impact Fund Grant will provide financial support to local nonprofit organizations dedicated to further advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in hockey. The objective of the grant is to provide access to the sport in all forms and should concentrate on, but not be limited to: equipment, ice time, school programs, program fees and access to the game. The fund will help minority youth players reach their greatest potential and will help create more equal playing fields for all.
The inaugural beneficiaries include:
Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Program
The Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Program (FDIHP) is part of the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone Program and is the oldest minority hockey program in North America. Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, founded in 1978 by Coach Neal Henderson, is a developmental program that provides local and inner-city youth with the opportunity to participate in an organized ice hockey program. The Cannons play out of the Fort Dupont Ice Arena located in Southeast D.C.
The FDIHP provides total quality training for each child in its care. The efforts of coaches, administrators, parents, community and business organizations are coordinated to provide the foundation for all children to succeed in learning the game of ice hockey, become useful and productive citizens, demonstrate belief in self and show respect for the rights and property of others.
Henderson became the first black individual elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.
The Capital Impact Fund grant will be used to support Fort Dupont's ice hockey programming, finance field trips and provide life skills programming.
Players Against Hate
Players Against Hate (PAH) is determined to increase awareness and stop racism and name-calling by youth athletes, their teams and coaches, their families and spectators.
PAH aims to use its international platform to amplify their message and eradicate the existence of hate in sports; to develop educational materials against hate to teach players, coaches parents, officials and other stakeholders that hate has no place on the bench, in the game, or in the stands; to provide scholarships for athletes of color to increase diversity in the game; to create a safe environment for youth to experience hockey where each person is included and welcomed; and to grow the movement beyond hockey to other youth sports where hate impacts athletes and other stakeholders.
PAH will use the Capital Impact Fund grant to complete the development and implementation of its anti-racism curriculum for middle school students. The curriculum will be piloted with a local group of players. In combination with the PAH racist incident reporting tool, the curriculum will allow the organization to take a two-pronged approach to fighting racism within youth hockey.
Positive Coaching Alliance
The mission of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is to be a catalyst for a positive youth sports culture in all communities across the U.S. PCA provides research-based training and resources for coaches, parents, athletes and leaders to ensure a positive youth development experience for all kids, in all communities across the U.S., through sports. PCA ensures sports are 'done right' with programming that is research-based and designed to have an impact at three levels in a youth sports organization or school: youth experience, improved life skills and character development; the belief that coaches become more positive and increase their focus on using sports to teach life lessons; and youth sports organizations and schools can see their cultures become more positive, with everyone involved having more fun.
The Capital Impact Fund grant will support PCA Sports Can Battle Racism (SCBR) programming locally, which is intended to leverage the opportunities that youth and high school sports provide to battle systemic racism in the United States. The impact and result of the SCBR workshops will be to help youth athletes and youth coaches play a substantive role in furthering racial equality and social justice through awareness building and education.
The Tender Bridge - Baltimore Banners
The Tender Bridge mission is to guide at-risk East Baltimore teenage youth on the path to become productive citizens and utilize hockey to keep youth continuously involved in a teaching and mentorship environment. Tender Bridge aims to close the gap between kids who need help and offer numerous programs that serve Baltimore City's most at-risk children. The Baltimore Banners, managed by The Tender Bridge, are based out of the Mimi Di Pietro Skating Center in Patterson Park, East Baltimore.
The Tender Bridge will use the Capital Impact Fund grant to support the Jr. Banners ice and street hockey programming, as well as to finance the Sr. Banners ice and roller hockey programming.
Tucker Road Parent Hockey Organization
The Tucker Road Parent Hockey Organization (TRPHO)'s mission is to support the Tucker Road Ducks Ice Hockey Team located in Southern Prince George's County, MD. TRPHO works to grow the sport of ice hockey by eliminating barriers, increasing diversity and bringing awareness toward the benefits of playing hockey. The organization also provides children access, exposure and the opportunity to learn and play ice hockey regardless of their socio-economic status.
TRPHO will use the Capital Impact Fund grant to continue their support of the Ducks ice hockey program and to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion education and training. They will also offer programming including Learn to Play, hockey for free events and skills and development training.
The application for the Capital Impact Fund's second class of recipients is now open at
washcaps.com/CIF-grant
. Organizations receiving grants should assist in eliminating cost barriers faced by individuals of color in the hockey community. The objective of the grant is to provide access to the sport in all forms and should concentrate on, but not be limited to: equipment, ice time, school programs, program fees and access to the game.
The deadline to apply for the FY23 cycle is June 1, 2022.
To learn more about the Capital Impact Fund, visit
WashCaps.com
.