BRONCOS AND COUGARS RAISE $24,000 FOR METRO MEALS ON WHEELS
Article By: Emily Stevens via the Arbiter
The Boise State men’s hockey club stands for something more than itself; the team aims to acknowledge and counter the struggles faced by their surrounding community. In particular, the Broncos are combating hunger among senior citizens.
For the past nine years, the Broncos have partnered with Metro Meals on Wheels, an organization that delivers and serves meals to seniors in Ada County that are unable to prepare or afford food for themselves.
In an annual event titled “Putting Senior Hunger on Ice,” the Broncos raise substantial funds for Metro Meals on Wheels by donating the typical revenue of one home game, as well as earnings from activities such as auctions and raffles.
This year, the fundraiser fell on Saturday, Nov. 2 – the night of Boise State’s 10-0 victory against the Washington State Cougars (WSU). The score, although high, was vastly exceeded by the $24,000 raised for the cause.
Grant Jones, director of Metro Meals on Wheels, expressed the foundation’s appreciation for the consistent financial and promotional support of the Broncos.
“We are so grateful to the Boise State hockey club,” Jones said. “This has been an incredible partnership for many years.”
Jones was also pleased with the unique display of appreciation for the elderly among a younger community.
“What a great cross-generational effort where you really show the younger people supporting the seniors. It’s really heart-warming,” Jones said. “A lot of times seniors get overlooked.”
In addition to local seniors, the event positively impacted the Broncos on the ice.
Sophomore forward Austin Fodrea, who scored his first two goals of the season, spoke on the atmosphere of CenturyLink Arena during the event and the effect it had on his level of play.
“When you’re down there in that tunnel and you look out and see all these fans, it’s amazing. You get a feeling inside that is indescribable,” Fodrea said. “And then knowing that it is for a good cause makes it that much more special.”
Combined, the implications of the fundraiser and the accompanying turnout of fans encouraged a Bronco win against WSU, a team arguably more threatening than opponents in past events of its kind – Gonzaga and the University of Idaho.
Throughout the game, WSU’s aggressiveness intensified as the gap in score increased. Their penalties for slashing and roughing allowed for Boise State to thrive in power plays and add three points to the board with apparent ease.
Junior forward Kaleb Stinson had a career game with two goals and an assist. He discussed the efforts made by himself and his team to keep their composure against the Cougars’ physicality.
“It’s tough to not retaliate to those [plays], but it’s just staying disciplined,” Stinson said. “We’re a really disciplined team and I think that helped us throughout it.”
According to Jones, the heightened competition featured in this year’s fundraiser made the event more interesting for donors.
The Broncos hope to maintain momentum as they face Arizona State in a two-game series on Nov. 16 and 17 in Tempe.
The Boise State Hockey Team is proud members of the Pac-8 Hockey Conference of the American Collegiate Hockey Association competing at the ACHA D2 level.
https://arbiteronline.com/club-hockey-raises-24000-for-metro-meals-on-wheels/