Volpatti Returns to D.C. As Part of Book Release

Washington Capitals alumnus Aaron Volpatti returned to town this week in conjunction with the release of his book, FIGHTER: Defying the NHL Odds.
On Nov. 7, he attended the Capitals' practice, which local first responders were also invited to attend. These first responders had the opportunity to meet with Volpatti and take a team photo with the Capitals and Volpatti upon the conclusion of practice.

Ahead of going to the Capitals' game against the Edmonton Oilers that night, Volpatti visited a Washington, D.C., fire department to meet with firefighters. Then, during the game, he signed copies of his book for fans on the concourse.
FIGHTER details Volpatti's journey to the NHL, including overcoming a devastating burn injury. He had to become comfortable with opening up and sharing his story with the world, but after Volpatti made the choice to do so, he had zero hesitations.

"At the end of the day, I came to the realization if I can even just help one person hold on a little bit longer or not give up on that dream they might have, I should get out of my own way and help people," he said.
In addition to serving as a beacon of hope or relatability for others, writing the book ended up also having its personal benefits for Volpatti.
"I didn't realize how therapeutic it would be to just go back and go through those times," he said. "It was almost a bit of a surreal feeling, like, 'Oh yeah, I went through and overcame that.' I now use that going forward if I have rough times."
Volpatti found the writing process to be fairly seamless because nothing was being created. He was simply telling his own story. The most challenging part did not come until after he had finished writing.
"The editing took me forever," he said. "I was naïve to that process. It's like a puzzle, so you have to move things around."
Once Volpatti had a finished product, friends and family were surprised by the story he had told.
"Most people have been shocked because they didn't know the full story," he said. "Even my family didn't really know. I kept things pretty close."

They were aware he had been badly burnt and eventually recovered, but that was the extent of it. This book was Volpatti finally letting them in and painting the full picture of what he went through.
On how he would briefly summarize its message, Volpatti said, "It's really about adversity being disguised as a gift."
Through the release of FIGHTER, Volpatti is raising funds in support of the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation and Capitals player Garnet Hathaway's Hath's Heroes. From Nov. 7 to Nov. 13, 40% of the profits will go directly to the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation and Hath's Heroes. That percentage is a tribute to Volpatti overcoming 40% second and third-degree burns on his way to the NHL.

Additionally, in Vancouver for 54 days following the book's release, 40% of the profits will go directly to the Burn Fund Centre in Vancouver. 54 days is a nod to his jersey number with the Vancouver Canucks.
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to learn more about FIGHTER and Volpatti's book tour.
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to purchase FIGHTER.