Capitals Raise More than $24,000 for Charity Through Happy Hockey Holiday Auction

Karie Erskine, wife of Capitals defenseman John Erskine talks to fans while they bid on their favorite basket at the Washington Capitals’ Happy Holiday Hockey Silent Auction Dec. 23 at Verizon Center.

Kudos to the Capitals and the team's Wives Club for raising $24,925 through their Happy Hockey Holiday Silent Auction on Dec. 23, at the game against Pittsburgh. All the money raised will benefit Washington Capitals Charities, which used the funds to adopt 25 local families for the holidays through The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. The players’ wives and girlfriends went shopping for books, clothing and toys for the children while their parents or guardians received gift cards from local grocery stores and Target. In light of the struggling economy, Hockey Mom is sure that these gifts brought much-appreciated holiday cheer to so many families (especially the children) in need during this season.


Players’ wives created gift baskets with their husbands’ favorite items. Each basket included at least one autographed puck along with an autographed, game-used piece of equipment, with some baskets featuring two players’ items. Baskets were made for Bruce Boudreau, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Matt Bradley and Mike Knuble, Jason Chimera and David Steckel, John Erskine and Matt Hendricks, Eric Fehr and Jeff Schultz, Tom Poti and Tyler Sloan and a special Winter Classic basket.

Fehr’s and Schultz’s basket – which included an autographed premier Winter Classic jersey signed by the 2010-11 team, a team signed Redskins football, an Under Armour Package, tickets to the Capitals game on Jan. 8 against the Florida Panthers, exclusive cooking class certificate at Culin Aerie, where Fehr and Schultz learned to cook, three free personal training session with William Sorrentino at Sport & Health Club and other items – raised the most money at $3,350. The Winter Classic basket went for $3,200, while Semin’s basket went for $3,100. All 11 baskets went for more than $1,000: Bradley and Knuble ($2,500), Ovechkin ($2,250), Erskine and Hendricks ($2,000), Backstrom ($1,950), Green ($1,850), Chimera and Steckel ($1,725), Boudreau ($1,500) and Poti and Sloan ($1,500).

Washington Capitals Charities
Created in 2000, Washington Capitals Charities is the nonprofit entity of the Washington Capitals. The Washington Capitals and Washington Capitals Charities are dedicated to the enhancement and development of the community that has supported them for so many years. Washington Capitals Charities offers unique resources and programs to other charities and organizations on behalf of the Washington Capitals.

The Angel Tree Program
The success of The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program depends on volunteers who agree to adopt and purchase gifts for an angel. For many of the families who turn to The Salvation Army for help, the toys and clothes they receive through the Angel Tree Program are the only gifts their children will have to open on Christmas morning. Last year, more than 20,724 individuals received emergency holiday assistance through the Angel Tree Program throughout the National Capital Area. Of that number, 5,266 children from 2,226 families were in the District. This year, The Salvation Army’s goal is to help a total of more than 25,000 individuals throughout the National Capital Area and they anticipate providing holiday assistance to more than 6,000 children through The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program within the District.