Record Donations Raised for Native American Heritage Day

SAINT PAUL, Minn.- December 8, 2021 - The National Hockey League's (NHL) Minnesota Wild and the Prairie Island Indian Community announced today that they raised a new record for a Wild-themed night auction through the sale of custom designed Native American Heritage Day jerseys, commemorative hockey pucks and locker room nameplates.

In celebration of Native American Heritage Day, the Minnesota Wild, Treasure Island Resort & Casino and the Prairie Island Indian Community designed custom Native American Heritage jerseys. Wild players wore the jerseys during pregame warmups on November 26. Immediately following the game, the player-autographed jerseys, along with commemorative hockey pucks and locker room nameplates, were placed for bid on the Minnesota Wild online auction webpage with all proceeds generated from the auction benefiting the MN Wild Foundation.
The auction for Native American Heritage Day generated over $60,000 in gross bids and purchases to support the Minnesota Wild Foundation.
The auction closed on December 6 with the following totals:
The Wild also announced today that a portion of the proceeds raised from the auction will go to support programs that benefit the health and wellness of indigenous children in the surrounding St. Paul area. The Wild and the Prairie Island Indian Community are working together to select a Native American-operated nonprofit to receive the funds.
"The Minnesota Wild Foundation is honored to partner with the Prairie Island Indian Community and are thrilled to see the community come together to support Native American Heritage Night," said Minnesota Wild Foundation Executive Director Rachel Schuldt. "We are grateful for this partnership that allows us to preserve the great hockey tradition in our state helping families afford to play the game they love as well as supporting children's medical related charities. We are also grateful to use a portion of these funds to give back and support the health and wellness of indigenous children in the surrounding St. Paul area."
Native American Heritage Day, signed into law in 2008, takes place the day after Thanksgiving and honors Native Americans across the nation. The day celebrates the vibrant cultures, traditions, and heritages while recognizing the many contributions Native Americans have made.
The Prairie Island Indian Community and Treasure Island Resort & Casino are also working this hockey season to support The Big Assist Program. For every assist made by Wild players during regular season games, Treasure Island Resort & Casino will donate $200 to the Wild Foundation to support diversity in hockey programming. The program will support removing any barriers associated with playing hockey by providing scholarships, equipment and access to opportunities to play to youth from diverse backgrounds and fund opportunities for youth hockey associations to apply for resources to support diversity, equity and inclusion in their community programs. As of December 7, Minnesota has registered 152 assists in 24 games this season, raising $30,400 for the Wild Foundation.
A proud partner of the Minnesota Wild for over two decades, Treasure Island Resort & Casino and the Prairie Island Indian Community have supported the Minnesota Wild Foundation through community giving since its inception in 2009. Through initiatives like The Big Assist Program, the Prairie Island Indian Community has donated over $1 million to the Minnesota Wild Foundation.
Images of the jersey and other visual assets can be found here.
About Minnesota Wild Foundation
The 2021-2022 season marks the twelfth season of giving for the Minnesota Wild Foundation. The Minnesota Wild Foundation exists to support the game of hockey and improve the lives of families in the State of Hockey. With support from Wild players, fans and donors, the Minnesota Wild Foundation supports pediatric medical causes, serves as the largest non-member funding source for Minnesota Hockey, and provides fundraising opportunities for youth hockey associations across the state. Since its inception in 2009, the Wild Foundation has distributed more than $4.6 million in grants to hockey organizations and children's medical related charities and has dispersed over $2.4 million to local charities through its Split the Pot Raffle program. Together we create a Greater State of Hockey. For more information and to make a donation visit www.wild.com/foundation or contact us at [email protected] or 651-602-6000. Follow the Minnesota Wild Foundation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About Treasure Island Resort & Casino
The Prairie Island Indian Community owns and operates Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Mount Frontenac Golf Course and Dakota Station. Treasure Island Resort & Casino is the only casino in southern Minnesota located on the Mississippi River. The property features more than 2,200 slots, 44 table games, a poker room and a recently refreshed 500-seat high stakes bingo hall. Treasure Island Resort & Casino's 788-room hotel, which includes the Wolf Tower, is the second largest hotel in Minnesota. Additional amenities include The Lagoon indoor water park, Wave Spa, Island Xtreme Bowl, Cyber Quest arcade, Kids Quest child care, various restaurants, a 16,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, a 2,800-seat indoor event and convention center, a 137-slip marina, a 95-site RV park and a 100-passenger yacht. For more information, visit TIcasino.com.