April Environmental Awareness Month Recap

In celebration of the Sharks 30th Anniversary presented by
SAP
, the Sharks Foundation held two specialty fundraisers. For sale early in the month were long-awaited 30th Anniversary Mystery Pucks presented by
SAP
. This set of autographed pucks featured two unique designs that incorporated the anniversary logo and sold out in less than a week. Following the success of puck sales, an auction was hosted that featured several autographed jerseys, canvases and pucks. Also available were one-of-a-kind experiences - like the opportunities to virtually read the Sharks lineup and cheer the players on as they took the ice - as well as Favorite Things Baskets, assembled by select Sharks players. Combined, the fundraisers raised nearly $45,000 for the Sharks Foundation.

The Sharks hosted a watch party for the award-winning documentary
Willie
on April 15. Willie O'Ree's story is a tale of adversity that goes beyond the hockey rink and shines a light on important conversations about social justice and racism. Following a screening of the film, fans were invited to join a free panel discussion about O'Ree's legacy and the issues currently facing diversity in hockey. Panelists included Jeff Scott, Vice President of Community Development and Growth with the NHL, Renee Hess, Founder & Executive Director of
Black Girl Hockey Club
, Bryant McBride, Producer of the film and former Vice President of Business Development with the NHL and Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson. In addition to honoring the life and work of O'Ree, the panel also discussed tangible ways the NHL, teams and ancillary organizations can make the game more accessible for individuals of all backgrounds.

On April 19, Patrick Marleau skated in his 1,768th NHL game, passing Gordie Howe to take sole possession of the all-time NHL Games Played record. After being drafted by the Sharks in 1997, Marleau made his debut on October 1 that same year. Having now skated in more than 900 straight games, Marleau is now ranked fourth all time on the NHL's Consecutive Games Played list. To celebrate his record-breaking game, the Sharks Foundation held a Marleau-centric auction, which raised $7,000 for the
Marine Science Institute
, an environmental non-profit whose mission is to cultivate a responsibility for the environment and our communities through science education. In addition, the Foundation sold Commemorative Tickets to honor Mr. Shark's momentous achievement. Ticket sales have raised more than $20,000 for the Foundation.

In recognition of Environmental Awareness Month, the Foundation highlighted some of the environmentally conscious efforts made by the Sharks organization, such as the 2012 project to install 1,960 Panasonic solar panels at
Oakland Ice Center
. The 372kW system on the roof of the building generates 31% of the electricity used by the facility, which makes ice and operates two skating rinks in the heart of downtown Oakland. Lighting upgrades were paired with the panels, including 300 photovoltaic fixtures that doubled lamp life, optimize energy savings by 55% and enhanced the lighting quality for patrons of the rinks.
Other highlights included the efforts made in San Jose, such as the 2012 installation of
Bloom Energy
Servers at
SAP Center
and
Sharks Ice at San Jose
to power both buildings. Servers at SAP Center supply up to 90% of the building's electricity on non-event days, when there is no ice in the facility. During Sharks games, the Bloom boxes supply 25% of the building's electrical utility power. Thanks to the installment, SAP Center will reduce its carbon footprint by 4.8 million pounds of CO2 by 2022. The Sharks Ice Servers provide about 85% of the facility's electricity and has shrunk its carbon footprint by 30%, putting to use cleaner, safer electricity.
Last season, the Sharks teamed up with local and world-renowned artists to create an "Artist Series" to showcase the team's commitment to California and Bay Area art and culture. Designs included "Los Tiburones" by Abel Gonzalez, "Shark Freak" by Jimbo Phillips, "Open Water" by Jeff McMillan and "Graffiti Shark" by Girl Mobb. Inspired by the success of the designs, the Foundation held an Artist Series Auction that included autographed hats, shirseys and pucks. The auction raised $2,000 for
Jasper Ridge Farm
, a non-profit that provides therapeutic animal assisted programs to improve the physical, emotional and social well-being of children and veterans. Shirseys were created using
Tristan Eaton's
"Shark Uprising" design and were sold exclusively on the
NTWRK
app, with proceeds and benefiting
PangeaSeed Foundation
.

This month, the
Goals for Kids
program passed the $100,000 mark! With support from the program's Presenting Partners,
Taube Philanthropies
and
Western Digital
& Participating Sponsors
Druva
,
The Sobrato Organization
and
SWENSON
, every goal scored by the Sharks this season results in a $1,000 donation made to a running sum of funds which will the be evenly distributed amongst the eight Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging-focused non-profit beneficiaries at the end of the season. Thank you to the program's amazing partners and sponsors!
Last month, the Sharks announced a partnership with
Chegg
to present the annual Sharks Bay Area All Star Scholarship Team (BAASST) Scholarship to Trenton Jiang from Leland High School. Jiang will receive a $10,000 scholarship in support of his higher education. Inspired by the impressive nature of all the BAASST applicants, Chegg partnered with the Sharks to present the Chegg and Sharks Community Student Award to three additional local high school seniors who have showed outstanding dedication to the community and to their education. The recipients are Gabrielle Tran from Lynbrook High School, Annie Hua from Fremont High School and Mingyuan Song from Branham High School. Each student will receive $10,000 to put towards their higher education. Congratulations to the recipients!
The Environmental Awareness Month campaign raised $9,000 for local non-profits and impacted 3,350 lives.