Creating a Greater State of Hockey: April Recap

Volunteer of the Month

This month, we’re recognizing Taylor Cashman for her hard work at the Yard Clean-Up with the ALS Association and Toro! Taylor went above and beyond by helping clean up lawns and making meaningful connections with homeowners. Thank you for all you do, Taylor!

Little Earth Club Skating

We hosted Little Earth from the Boys & Girls Club at TRIA Rink for a skating party over their spring break. For many of the kids, it was their first time putting on skates. They all had a great time and were incredibly grateful for the opportunity to skate at TRIA. Many even shared that they loved it so much, they can’t wait to come back again!

Pull Tabs

Pull Tabs are officially here! We’re excited to announce that multiple Pull Tab games are now available for purchase during Wild home games in the Michelob Golden Light Taphouse. Best of all, proceeds support the Minnesota Wild Foundation and help fund meaningful community initiatives.

Split the Pot

Another month of big wins for Split the Pot, thanks to our incredible fans! In April, fan support helped the Minnesota Wild Foundation raise over $129,000 to support our mission. Even more exciting, we shattered records with our largest winning pot to date, delivering a winner takeaway of $19,360 on April 25.

Program Sales

Program sales are another way that the Minnesota Wild Foundation supports community hockey. At every home game, a Minnesota youth hockey association has the opportunity to sell game programs.

This month, the Foundation has awarded $9,000 in grants to the teams that sold programs. These grants help cover essential costs such as new jerseys, equipment, and more.

Hockey Lab

The Minnesota Wild hosted its first-ever Hockey Lab in partnership with the University of St. Thomas, bringing together hockey and engineering. Engineering students from the University of St. Thomas were challenged to develop innovative solutions focused on ankle and shin injury prevention, working collaboratively to design and present their ideas. The program provided a valuable hands-on experience while showcasing creativity, teamwork, and new perspectives on player safety.

Heart of the Wild

We had two volunteer opportunities this month. Our staff were out across the Twin Cities supporting a Yard Clean-Up with the ALS Association and Toro. Several families benefited from this effort and enjoyed connecting with our team. Our second opportunity was with the DinoMights Learn to Skate program. Staff helped first-time skaters get fitted with their gear and assisted on the ice throughout the event. This program gave kids the opportunity to try skating and see if they would be a good fit for the DinoMights program.

Faceoff for Fitness

This month, we visited two schools, marking our 20th and 21st visits of the year. On April 14, we visited American Indian Magnet School, followed by Wildwood Elementary School on April 30, where Jessi Pierce’s children attended. In addition to the assembly, the Wildwood community wanted to do something special, as Cayden and Hudson were part of the school’s after-school running program. They organized a lap around the school in honor of both children. Two local fire stations were also there to create an arch at the finish line, with a Wild jersey hung above it to honor Jessi and her kids. We also donated hockey-themed books with stickers inside dedicated to Jessi and her children.

STEM Day

On April 29, we hosted our second STEM Day of the season in partnership with Pentair. We invited fourth and fifth graders from the Annunciation school to learn all about how STEM can be seen through all aspects of hockey. They spent the day engaging in hands-on learning activities, combining science, technology, engineering, and math concepts with the excitement of the game.