AHU Mite White wins off the ice, gives back to local community
The Arizona Hockey Union Mite White team is the youngest team in the organization, with players ranging from age 6-8 years old.
As part of the development of these young players, the coaches and managers are committed to teaching the kids not just about being a good teammate and hockey player, but also being a caring member of our community.
As part of this, we recently organized a charitable fundraiser for the team through Savers. The fundraiser consisted of collecting used clothing, household goods, toys and books, and turning them in to Savers. In return, Savers donates money back to the team. Each item is given a different value, with linens and clothes getting the most money per pound.
Once it was started, the team put the word out to friends and all of AHU. Soon after, the donations started pouring in.
The first day of collection, the team manager’s F-150 was packed so full that their kiddo had to hold toys on his lap and shove his hockey bag under his feet.
They even made a trip out to the West Valley to collect eight bags of donations from the AHU teams there. Some of the best donations included a huge box of books that needed several people to lift, an entire kitchen set of dishes from a family that was combining two homes, and of course, all the toys that many of the players willingly donated.
Most of our families appreciated a fundraiser that did not require them to spend any of their own money and allowed them the opportunity to teach their kids about giving back to a community. Many of the players helped their parents sort through old toys and find those items that were ready for another kid to play with.
After collecting donations every Tuesday and Thursday in September, the team rented a moving truck and players and families spent the morning loading everything up. It was then delivered to Savers.
In total, the team collected 1,684 pounds of clothing and linens, 408 pounds of housewares and 176 pounds of books. This added up to a total team donation of $385 from Savers. The funds earned will help to pay for the team’s entry into an 8U tournament in Niagara Falls this coming January.
Though it may seem that Savers takes all the donated goods and just resells them, their commitment to the community is much bigger than this. All the items are sorted and put out on to their sales floor to be purchased. If the items are not sold, the Savers Get-2-Give program will donate those goods to local shelters, senior centers, preschools, and free distribution centers, depending on those organization’s needs. Items not suitable for the sales floor or local charities are recycled, repurposed or sold to small businesses around the globe.
Savers’ recent shipment for the intent or repurposing goods went to Africa and Argentina where small businesses there will reuse the goods to create merchandise to sell. This recycling and repurposing program has kept more than eight million pounds of textiles out of Arizona landfills (that is just from the Savers in Arizona – Savers is a nationwide company).
This was a great way for this small team of 18 players and their families to make an impact on both their community and the environment without ever needing to open their wallets.
We truly appreciate everyone from AHU that donated their used goods and Savers for offering such a well-organized fundraising opportunity. Finally, the team is excited that with the money earned in this charity they get to make many wonderful memories when they travel to Niagara Falls for their only out-of-state tournament of the season.
— Sean Phillips
(Nov. 27, 2018)
