Capitals using quarantine to raise money for various charities

Garnet Hathaway said he considers himself fortunate.

The Washington Capitals forward has been quarantined with his fiancee, Lindsay Minges, since the NHL paused the 2019-20 season on March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. But Hathaway said he realized there are some whose jobs require them to do otherwise.
Eager to help, he's using his Hath's Heroes program, which he founded at the start of this season, as a way to give back to first responders, to raise money to provide meals for doctors, nurses, police, firefighters and members of the National Guard who have been putting their health at risk during the pandemic.
"That was the biggest thing, seeing men and women on the front line going to work every day being essential in our community," Hathaway said. "I just felt like if there was a way that we could give back, and it would make a difference."

Hathaway, goalie Braden Holtby, defenseman Michal Kempny and forwards Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Nic Dowd are among a group of Capitals players who have been busy raising money for various charities while the season is paused.
For his fundraising drive, Hathaway teamed with chef Robert Wood and his SuperFd Market, which caters for the Capitals. For each $11.50 meal sold through its home delivery program, SuperFd Market has been providing one for free to high-risk individuals in the Washington area through Kid Power and DC Central Kitchen.
So each $11.50 donated through Hath's Heroes provides a free meal for first responders in Arlington County, Virginia, as well as one for a Kid Power or DC Central Kitchen recipient. Hathaway has thus far raised more than $16,000 through
online donations
, with Hathaway matching the first $5,000.
Hathaway has received additional help; Lindsay Volkswagen in Sterling, Virginia, has raised more than $18,000 by donating $100 for each vehicle purchased and $10 for each service repair order to Hath's Heroes' fundraiser.
"I was really fortunate that I had a lot of help from the Caps and that Hath's Heroes was a program that could reach out and support the first responders," Hathaway said. "Our team has really stepped up and helped out and will continue to."

Led by Kempny and his girlfriend, Nicola Minarikova, the Capitals players and their significant others helped launch a Stick Together Auction last week to benefit MSE Foundation's Feeding the Frontlines fund, which provides meals for front-line first responders and health care workers. The
online auction
features player signed sticks, jerseys and other memorabilia and runs through 5 p.m. ET on May 1.
"We are humbled by (the first responders' and health care workers') immense sacrifices, invaluable dedication, commitment and efforts in managing this pandemic, oftentimes risking their own lives, for the benefit of others," Kempny said in an email. "They are the true heroes that will surely inspire the next generations."
Holtby and his wife, Brandi, followed the lead of Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle and his wife, Eireann, by raising money for the Capital Area Foodbank, which provides food to nearly 400,000 children and families in the region. The Holtbys initially donated $10,000, enough to provide 25,000 meals, with the goal of raising another $10,000/25,000 meals through
online donations
. After surpassing that goal, the Holtbys contributed an additional $10,000 with the hope of getting to $20,000 in online donations, which would bring their total to $40,000/100,000 meals. So far, they're up to more than $16,000 in online donations.
Ovechkin teamed with Wayne Gretzky, the NHL all-time leader in goals (894) and points (2,857), to raise more than $40,000 to benefit the Edmonton Food Bank and the Feeding the Frontlines fund when they faced off in EA Sports NHL 20 in The Great One vs. The Great Eight Showcase on Wednesday. That total included more than $20,000 in online donations made while the event was broadcast on the Capitals Twitch Channel. Ovechkin and the Gretzky family combined to match those fan contributions.
Backstrom contributed $20,000 to the Pros for Heroes COVID-19 Relief Fund founded by Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and his wife, Heather, and has joined Zimmerman on videoconferences to thank health care workers.
Pros for Heroes
has raised more than $350,000.
"I think our community has always been there for us, from the fans to everyone day to day helping us out," Hathaway said. "We've always felt a lot of support and we felt welcome in this community. I know I did when I first got to D.C. But we have a little more time on our hands now, which is unfortunate but that's how it is, and I'm really excited to see the work that the guys are doing."

In addition to contributing to the Stick Together Auction, Dowd and his wife, Paige, have remained active with Dowd's Crowd, which they founded in 2018 to provide children with autism the opportunity to attend Capitals games. After a Dowd's Crowd skate for children with autism scheduled for March 10 was canceled because of concerns surrounding the coronavirus, Nic and Paige began searching for other ways to help.
With April being Autism Awareness Month, they decided to hold a logo design contest for the Dowd's Crowd sensory kit drawstring bags. The sensory kits, which include noise canceling headphones, sunglasses, a foam puck and a conversation card, help children with autism enjoy an NHL game without triggers.
After coloring in a blank puzzle piece outline they can
download
, fans can submit their entries ([email protected]) by May 1. The winner will receive four tickets to a future Capitals home game, 10 drawstring bags and a postgame meet and greet with the Dowds.
Like Hathaway, Dowd said he hopes the season resumes soon. While they wait, they are trying to do some good with their additional free time.
"For an NHLer, our time is very valued, and we usually don't get a lot of it and right now we have an abundance of it, so I think … it's just donating your time," Dowd said. "Trying to create new efforts to bring in money for people has been something I've noticed a lot of professional athletes turning towards."