March 2025: Equality Campaign Presented by Kaiser Permanente

During the Sharks Foundation's Equality campaign presented by Kaiser Permanente, a $30,000 Community Assist Grant was provided to Special Olympics Northern California.

The organization provides free year-round programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities including training and competitions in 11 sports, a wide range of school programs, health and wellness activities, leadership training, and more. The grant funds will support their Bay Area Community Sports program which provides their athletes with an inclusive community and safe spaces to play.

On March 16, the Sharks showcased their support of Special Olympics Northern California by holding their 6th annual Floor Hockey Game, providing a unique Sharks-themed experience to local Special Olympics athletes. Sharks players Tyler Toffoli, Collin Graf, Barclay Goodrow, Ty Dellandrea, Alexander Wennberg, and Mario Ferraro, as well as broadcasters Randy Hahn, Dan Rusanowsky, and Drew Remenda, all participated in the event, while Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky refereed the game.

Brian Wiseman and Cody Ward served as assistant coaches for Team Black while Doug Houda and Jeff Ulmer were the assistant coaches for Team White. Athletes participated in an authentic experience which included entering through an inflatable shark head, wearing custom jerseys, and having S.J. Sharkie cheer them on. Athletes were also interviewed by Emily Harlan who acted as the game’s in-arena host. The room was filled with excitement as members of the Coca-Cola Tank Patrol and Street Team threw t-shirts to the crowd, keeping fans engaged and energy levels high. The event, which was presented by Kaiser Permanente, took place at Santa Clara High School and hosted 34 athletes and nearly 200 spectators.

March was filled with community initiatives, beginning with the Community Relations team surprising Ireland Smith with the news that she was selected as the Sharks 2025 Bay Area All Star Scholarship Team recipient. BAASST is a joint scholarship program for high school seniors in partnership with the Golden State Warriors, Bay FC, San Francisco Giants, San Jose Earthquakes, and the San Jose Sharks.

On March 5 surrounded by her lacrosse team, coach, and family, Ireland was presented with the award at Live Oak High School.

Ireland is an impressive scholar and athlete who began taking college-level courses before her first year of high school started while simultaneously balancing numerous extra-curricular activities. The Sharks were proud to support her goal of funding college on her own and graduating debt-free. She and the four other BAASST scholarship recipients attended the March 20 Sharks game where they were honored during a live recognition ceremony and Sharks defenseman and Harvard graduate, Henry Thrun, post- game.

On March 12, the San Jose Barracuda’s Beyond the Reef initiative teamed up with Convoy of Hope to provide groceries to San Jose community members in need. Through a partnership with local non-profit community support agencies, the Cuda’s entire roster of players and members of the front office supported roughly 500 individuals and families by distributing more than 1,500 bags of groceries.

On March 13, the Sharks Foundation celebrated their 30 years of impact during the Sharks vs Blackhawks game. In collaboration with NBC Sports California, the night featured stories about the Foundation’s history and positive effect on the Bay Area through the Sharks pregame broadcast. The storytelling continued throughout the intermission and postgame broadcasts with recap videos and testimonials highlighting some of the Foundation’s support of initiatives like combating local food insecurity, making the sport of hockey inclusive, and granting wishes for children battling illness. Fans that streamed the game on the Sharks Audio Network heard Sharks broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky reminisce about some of his favorite Sharks Foundation community moments from over the past 30 years and talk about the significant positive impact the Foundation has made on the lives of Bay Area residents. Rusanowsky additionally conducted an interview with Kevin Brown, Executive Director, Sharks Foundation & Head of Community Impact.

The excitement of the celebration was felt throughout SAP Center for guests attending the game.

Longtime supporters, donors, and members from non-profit organizations the Sharks Foundation has supported were hosted for a pre-game reception in the Rinkside Room. Fans were provided with “did you know” stats about the Foundation’s historical impact, as well as opportunities to financially support their work through purchasing limited-edition 30th anniversary t-shirts or making contributions online.

The night was a great success, bringing awareness to the Foundation’s past and continued efforts to support local youth and families in need and raising funds to help their Community Assist Grant Cycle program.

The Sharks longest standing and furthest reaching school program, Reading is Cool, celebrated Top Reader Night on March 15. This season 25,838 students across 987 classrooms participated in the program with more than 22 million pages read (and counting!). To acknowledge the 2024-25 program’s highest achievers, 10 students were invited to the Sharks vs Capitals game for a celebration at SAP Center. Students participated in locker room high fives, enjoyed the game from a suite, and were honored during an in-game ceremony highlighted on the center hung.