Miller Earns Assist in Ducks Mask Design Contest for Local Kids

For a first-ever Ducks game, Shane Fuqua couldn't have asked for a better experience.

As he and his family watched Anaheim take on the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center Sunday night, the 12-year old sixth grader from Hermosa Drive Elementary in Fullerton witnessed the Ducks rally from a two-goal deficit in the final seconds of the third period to tie the game and send it to overtime. Even better, Shane got to see Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller take the ice for the pre-game warm-up wearing a mask that he himself designed. And to top it off, Shane was able to meet the netminder in person after the game.
"I was so excited," Shane said with a huge grin. "I didn't know how to feel."
Shane was the winner of the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Program, Behind the Mask: Storytelling Through Art contest, part of a new school assembly series offered to local schools in conjunction with the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone initiative.

The experience began last month, when 250 fourth through sixth graders at Hermosa Drive welcomed Ducks goaltending coach Sudarshan Maharaj and Fan Development Manager and former Team USA women's Olympic goalie Molly Schaus to their campus.
The two shared the history and evolution of the hockey goalie mask and how an element designed for protection became a blank canvas for goaltenders, a unique way for the athletes to express their personality and what is important to them.
Both Maharaj and Schaus told their personal stories, sharing the paths each took in their hockey goalie journeys and how the design of a goalie's mask aligns with the purpose of the Hockey is for Everyone initiative - celebrating diversity and inclusivity within the sport.

"The Hockey is for Everyone program is important because it's such a great game," Maharaj said. "You want people from different areas of the world, different cultures and different ethnicities to get a chance to experience it."
For Maharaj, his own unique path in the sport took him from his native Trinidad to Toronto, where as a child he discovered his love for stopping the puck. He spent six years playing professionally in Sweden, which allowed him to travel across Europe and be introduced to a wide range of diverse cultures.
"Meeting people of different cultures was an incredibly great growing experience for me," Maharaj said. "The game has a wonderful way of exposing you to things and to people that you would never have an opportunity to be exposed to otherwise."

After receiving the hockey history lesson, the students were given the opportunity to go back to their classrooms and share their stories through the design of their own masks, a chance to reflect on the people, places and things that are important in their lives.
"For these kids, it's phenomenal to get the opportunity with this project to really show what is important to them," Maharaj said. "And just like the goalies that design these masks, it's wonderful for these kids to have a chance to create their own 'life's canvas' on the mask."
From the Hermosa Drive students' submissions, 10 finalists were selected and then interviewed, allowing them to further explain the meanings behind their designs. Three top finalists were chosen, including Shane, sixth grader Sydney Parker and fourth grader Pineki Seddelmeyer. Shane's winning design was featured on the special goalie mask worn by Miller prior to the game.
"When we went to the assembly and the students heard what they were going to do, the first thing they wanted to do as soon as we got back to the classroom was to draw their passion," said Kyle Ruiz, Shane's teacher at Hermosa Drive. "They couldn't wait to be a part of it and share what they love, because someone like the Ducks cared to hear what they love."

All 10 finalists and their families were at Honda Center on Sunday night, and the three top finalists were honored with a pre-game on ice ceremony as well as the post-game meet and greet with Miller.
"I think it's amazing," said Shane's mother, Audrey. "He was so excited to be able to be a part of it and to participate in it. And then to be chosen, he's over the moon."
Shane's mask features elements that reflect his love for the beach, music and his family, including a quote from one of his favorite singers, Selena Gomez, and a nod to his late uncle.
"This represents everything I love," Shane said of his mask design. "I really love the beach. It's a place that gives me peace. And this is one of my favorite quotes: 'Everything happens for a reason…Learn to grow from every single moment.'"
An American flag and camouflage are the main features in Sydney's mask design, her way of honoring those who continually fight for us and our nation, as well as a red rose, a reminder that true beauty comes from within.
Pineki's design reflects her love for reading, including a series of bookshelves and the symbol from her favorite book, Wings of Fire. She also featured a red "H" in honor of her school, the Hermosa Hawks.

"What's exciting about tonight is that the Ducks gave our kids a voice for what they find important," said the superintendent of Fullerton School District, Dr. Bob Pletka. "Their designs express what they feel is meaningful, and they got to express that to the world."
Before meeting with Miller, the three top finalists shared their designs with Maharaj, who complemented the students on their thought process, artistic ability and inspirations.
When Miller came out to greet Shane, Sydney and Pineki, the three were rendered almost speechless. But he quickly got the students to explain to him the stories behind their masks, all with smiles as big as their imaginations. No doubt that Miller, and the Ducks, gained some new fans for life.
"It means so much to our parents and our students to be able to be a part of this," said Hermosa Drive principal, Danielle Ramirez. "The kids' excitement from being at the assembly to then designing their masks, it's been amazing. Being in the S.C.O.R.E. Program for over 10 years, we're so grateful for our partnership with the Ducks. It's been phenomenal."
For more information on the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Program, visit
ducksscore.com
.
And for more information on the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone initiative, visit
nhl.com/hockeyisforeveryone
.