Just 'Released': Get Your Gear

A major reason why Seattle fans have been clamoring for the team name, logo and colors is because the next step is buying Kraken gear. The good news is you can get outfitted online in minutes and at the same time make a positive difference in the lives of some of our region's most vulnerable youth.
Fans can visit releasethekrakenstore.com to buy a commemorative line of gear (t-shirts, hoodies, windbreakers and more) to signify the announced name for Seattle's NHL team and sport the franchise's four blue colors with a dash of red. That's the swag moment we've all been waiting for-and it comes with a significant bonus: The Seattle Kraken will invest 100 percent of net proceeds into the community, partnering with YouthCare to end youth homelessness, along with other nonprofits serving the underserved Black, Indigenous and People of Color in the Greater Seattle region.

Fans can help combat youth homelessness when buying this first line of team apparel at releasethekrakenstore.com for the next 30 days. Buying a shirt or hat at releasethekrakenstore.com will directly result in empowering Seattle-area homeless 12- to 24-year-olds with educational opportunity, career skills and an end goal of employment and security.

Nearly half of our community's homeless experience it for the first time before the age of 25. An average of 1,100 youth and young adults in King County are unaccompanied on any given night with 70 percent sleeping outside for lack of housing. YouthCare serves 1,300-plus youth each year at 14 sites across Greater Seattle and provides such practical needs as meals and shelter along with the simple yet powerful action of valuing youth when their families and society have not.

Consider this passage from the YouthCare website: "No one grows up wanting to be homeless. These young people are navigating life circumstances beyond their control-they all want the chance to stabilize and thrive."

"The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenges facing YouthCare and the young adults they serve and has also disproportionately impacted BIPOC youth and families," said Mari Horita, vice president of community engagement and philanthropy social impact for the Kraken. "Our team wants to help provide support and be part of building a better future together. We encourage our fans to join us."
"Community is bedrock for our franchise," said Tod Leiweke, the Kraken's CEO. "As we announce the team name, we intend to lift those in need during these unprecedented times and commit our partnership for the future."

Get your gear at releasethekrakenstore.com and maybe pick an extra hat or shirt for family and friends. Check out YouthCare.org to get more information about how you gear purchase will help and/or feel free to hit the donation button on its home page to make a straight financial donation.