BRIDGEPORT, CT -- On Saturday, December 26, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers were the proud hosts of a group of fourteen children from Kids in Crisis. After watching the Sound Tigers beat the Hartford Wolf Pack in a shootout, the group was the recipient of another special present: holiday gifts presented by the Sound Tigers players.
Prior to the Christmas holiday, each Sound Tiger bought a gift for one of the children in the group, which ranged in age for 7-14. Following the victory Saturday night, the group of children toured the Sound Tigers locker room, met the players and of course, opened the gifts that the players had bought for them.
Sound Tigers defenseman Brett Westgarth coordinated the event for the Sound Tigers players. Westgarth said that the idea was similar to something he had done when he played for the Worcester Sharks last season.
“When I talked about it with our team everyone was very behind the idea,” Westgarth said. “It’s nice to be able to bring joy to these kids lives.”
Based in Greenwich, Kids in Crisis provides free, temporary shelter, therapeutic counseling, comprehensive medical care and specialized educational support for children struggling with a wide range of issues including abuse, neglect, abandonment, family health issues and family conflict.
“It was really touching for the Sound Tigers to reach out to these kids, said Amanda Finn, a Kids in Crisis staff member. “The kids were excited all night and are truly grateful for this opportunity.
“It’s important that every kid can enjoy the holidays,” Westgarth said. "Anything you can do to brighten the holidays for the kids is very important."
Courtesy: SoundTigers.com
