Kariya, Selanne Join Ducks on Visit of Hall of Fame Night Beneficiaries

When the Ducks spoke to Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne about their plans for last November's Hall of Fame Night at Honda Center, the two recently inducted legends had one stipulation: All proceeds from the Hall of Fame merchandise from that night were to be donated to charity.

Kariya and Selanne consulted with the Ducks' Community Relations department on designating five nonprofits as beneficiaries from the night: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim, CHOC Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orangewood Foundation, The Shea Center and The Wooden Floor. These contributions would not have been possible without the help of the fans, Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli and, of course, Paul and Teemu.
Together they raised approximately $165,000, to be split evenly among the five nonprofits, which range in focus from education, social services, arts and health. On Thursday, members of the Ducks staff joined Paul and Teemu on a tour to each nonprofit, to present the checks and see first-hand the wide variety of important services happening every day to support our community's youth.
"It was very important for everyone involved to make our Hall of Fame Night about giving back to the community," Paul said. "And this was the culmination of that."

Stop 1: The Shea Center

The
J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center
is dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities through therapeutic horse-related programs. Located in San Juan Capistrano, The Shea Center serves more than 1,000 clients annually, who range in age from 2 to 97, and come from throughout Orange, LA and San Diego Counties. The Center addresses more than 80 physical and cognitive disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, speech delay, and Down syndrome.
Paul and Teemu learned more about the center, while getting a chance to ride a couple of horses on their own. Paul, who had never ridden a horse before, gained enough confidence to ride it backwards for a stretch as well as on his knees.

Stop 2: Orangewood Foundation

The mission of
Orangewood Foundation
is to prepare foster and community youth to reach their greatest potential. They were founded in 1981 and today are one of the leading providers of services to these youth. Orangewood programs focus on four critical areas: health & wellness, housing, life skills & employment, and education. In June 2017, their Samueli Academy charter high school's inaugural graduating class had a 98% graduation rate with 97% of students continuing on to college. Annually, Orangewood Foundation serves almost 2,000 foster and community youth.
Paul and Teemu were shown around the foundation's headquarters, then were treated to first-hand stories from a few of the youths who have benefited from the program, who have overcome troubled pasts to become successful students with bright futures.

Stop 3: CHOC Children's Hospital

Since 1964,
CHOC Children's
has been steadfastly committed to providing the highest quality medical care to children. Their regional pediatric healthcare network includes a state-of-the-art 317-bed main hospital facility in the City of Orange, and a hospital-within-a-hospital in Mission Viejo. CHOC also offers many primary and specialty care clinics, more than 100 additional programs and services, a pediatric residency program, and four centers of excellence - The CHOC Children's Heart, Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Hyundai Cancer Institutes.
While at CHOC Children's, Paul and Teemu were interviewed on the hospital's in-house radio station (which broadcasts to every patient's room) about their lives in hockey. Paul unsuccessfully tried to nab one patient's Darth Vader doll, revealing his love for all things Star Wars. Teemu admitted he had never seen any of the movies, adding, "I only watch Baywatch."

Stop 4: Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim

Established in 1989, the
Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim
is a youth development and social impact agency that sees over 300 youth daily and over 600 adults monthly. The Boys & Girls Club is a leader in youth development, providing programs focused in five core areas such as education, career development, health and life skills, the arts and sports and recreation. Through newly formed partnerships, they now offer services to the whole family. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim's three clubs sites offer parenting classes, counseling for children and parents, free food distributions for the needy, immigration services and free tax preparation
It was hard to tell who enjoyed themselves more on the visit - the children or Paul and Teemu. They joined a few of the kids for a spirited and competitive game of foosball then later headed outside with several dozen kids for street hockey (with Teemu's teams winning both).
Instagram from @anaheimducks: It's hard to tell who was having more fun, the kids or Paul and Teemu at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim. Swipe to see all of the images.

Stop 5: The Wooden Floor

Founded in 1983,
The Wooden Floor
is one of the foremost creative youth development nonprofit organizations in the country. The Wooden Floor transforms the lives of young people in low-income communities through the power of dance and access to higher education. In Orange County and through national licensed partners, they use a long-term approach grounded in exploratory dance education to foster the confidence and gifts within each child to innovate, communicate, and collaborate - skills necessary for success in school and in life. One hundred percent of students who graduate from The Wooden Floor immediately enroll in higher education. Their students become change agents and beacons of hope within their own families, their neighborhoods, our community, and our world.
As graceful as Paul and Teemu looked on the ice in their careers, that certainly did not carry over to their dancing ability, as they awkwardly tried to join a group of kids in learning a simple routine.
Instagram from @anaheimducks: The last stop on our tour of Hall of Fame Night nonprofit beneficiaries: @thewoodenfloor, where their motto is #danceistheanswer ... though maybe not for @sel8nneteemu and Paul.
"Today finished off on a low note, with Teemu and me dancing," Paul said with a laugh. "So they definitely won't invite us back. But it was a great day, and it felt really great to give back to a community that has given us so much. All of this is because of the Ducks fans and the community that has supported the team and Teemu and me for so many years."
Added Teemu, "We made a lot of people happy, so it was really great. I'm very proud of our fans and everyone involved in making this happen. There were so many great programs that we got to see up close, that make a lot of difference in people's lives. Every time you can give back and see those happy faces, it's really special."