Wild Hosts Healthcare Appreciation Night Presented by Gillette Children's

This past week, the Minnesota Wild teamed up with Gillette Children's to host a special night for healthcare workers and their families. Healthcare Appreciation Night, presented by Gillette Children's, took place on March 11^th and was a memorable evening for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.

This exciting night highlights the Wild's and Gillette Children’s appreciation for the hard work and commitment of healthcare professionals across the entire state of Minnesota. The event honored doctors, nurses, and all healthcare staff who go above and beyond to support the health and well-being of individuals in the community.

When asked why this night was so special to Gillette Children’s, Barbara Joers CEO of Gillette Children’s said, “Gillette Children’s is proud to collaborate with the Minnesota Wild to celebrate all first responders, healthcare workers and everybody behind the scenes who work to keep us healthy across the State of Hockey. As a community, we are lucky to have our healthcare heroes, and this is our chance to acknowledge the amazing contributions they make every day.”

Throughout the evening, healthcare heroes enjoyed in-game recognition and a variety of activities to celebrate those who make a difference on countless lives. The night was kicked off with Gillette Children’s patient Tucker Olson doing the “Let’s Play Hockey” Call. Tucker was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus treated at Gillette Children’s in St. Paul. Tucker was accompanied on-stage by Gillette Children’s Vice-President of Administrative Affairs Paula Montgomery and the two kicked off the game together in front of 18,000 people.

The partnership between the Minnesota Wild and Gillette Children’s stretches for more than a decade now and touches all corners of the Minnesota Wild’s organization. In addition to Healthcare Appreciation Night, Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon is a frequent visitor of Gillette Children’s, visiting the hospital multiple times a season with Nordy to bring joy to patients and their families. "It's awesome to hopefully brighten some days a little bit," said Spurgeon. "Having kids of my own, you know there are some struggles and obviously what they're going through here is definitely difficult … but it's nice to be able to come in and see some smiles."

In addition to Healthcare Appreciation Night, there are several exciting activations throughout the partnership. The Minnesota Wild hosts Gillette Children’s patients and their families for a private practice viewing party with the team where they get a behind-the-scenes look at the Wild in action. The partnership also includes being the presenting sponsor of Diversified Hockey Night and a unique “Hockey Bag” sweepstakes. Finally, Gillette Children’s partners with Blaze Credit Union to encourage youth hockey players to use teamwork and leadership skills to come together and raise funds for kids with disabilities and complex medical needs.

For their work in the community, the Minnesota Wild presented Gillette Children’s with the Community Achievement Award at the Wild’s annual partner summit earlier this season for everything they do for patients and healthcare professionals across the entire region.