Ed Snider Youth Foundation Sends Two to Buffalo

ED SNIDER YOUTH HOCKEY FOUNDATION SENDS TWO PARTICIPANTS TO NATIONAL COMPETITION IN BUFFALO ON MARCH 18

Two boys from the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation will compete in the 2011 NHL Willie O’Ree Skills Showcase in Buffalo, NY, from Friday, March 18 through Sunday, March 20. This weekend is part of the National Hockey League’s “Hockey is for Everyone” campaign.

Dishawn Jackson, 16, a home schooled 11th grader from Philadelphia, and Dillion Trainor, 16, a 10th grader at Jules E. Mastbaum Vocational-Technical High School in Philadelphia, will represent the more than 2,500 Snider Hockey participants and compete in skating, passing, and shooting competitions with participants from other NHL diversity programs from throughout North America in this three-day program. The two participants were selected for their outstanding commitment to their off-ice, in-classroom honors.

“We are thrilled to be able to deliver once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as these to our participants,” said Scott Tharp, President of Snider Hockey. “These two young men are very deserving of this honor, and we are very excited to see them compete with others from around the NHL.”

As part of the weekend, Jackson and Trainor, along with Snider Hockey’s Jim Britt who is serving as a chaperone, will visit Canisius College, the Albright Knox Art Gallery and will sample the famous pizza and Buffalo Wings at LaNova’s Pizza. The group will also attend a Buffalo Sabres practice on Friday, the Sabres – Atlanta Thrashers game on Saturday, and on Sunday, will play the 2011 Willie O’Ree Skills Showcase Hockey Game at the HSBC Arena.

Flyers founder Ed Snider created Snider Hockey in 2005 as a personal commitment to teach children important life lessons. The Foundation uses the sport of ice hockey as its “hook” to bring a diverse population of children together, enabling them to enjoy a top-notch sports experience coupled with an array of educational activities and character development. The program has rapidly grown to include over 2,500 participants in just its sixth full season.

The mission of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation is to use the sport of hockey to help educate young people to succeed in the game of life. The program incorporates on-ice and off-ice activities, stressing citizenship, academics, and life skills. Snider Hockey services are targeted for boys and girls who otherwise would not have the opportunity to learn to skate or to play ice hockey. The Foundation provides equipment, ice time, and experienced coaching at no cost. The Foundation partners with the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, the Camden, NJ School District, and the School District of Philadelphia to bring its programs to 10 ice rinks throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region to children from over 200 public schools.