Caps Care Year in Review: Player Programs trucc

Through fundraising and programming efforts, the Capitals and MSE Foundation supported numerous organizations in an array of missions

During the 2024-25 season, the Washington Capitals, its players, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation continued to give back to the community and grow participation in hockey throughout the region. Through fundraising and programming efforts, the Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation supported numerous organizations in an array of missions. The organization's efforts resulted in more than 2.3 million raised for charity.

This week, WashCaps.com presents highlights across the following categories:

Caps Care Community Programs and Initiatives
Theme Nights and NHL Platforms
Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation
Youth Hockey Development and District of Play
Capitals Player Programs
City Engagement

Today, WashCaps.com recaps Capitals Player Programs:

Dowd’s Crowd: In 2018, Nic and Paige Dowd created Dowd's Crowd to provide the opportunity for a child with sensory issues to be able to attend and enjoy a Caps game. Tickets and a Dowd's Crowd branded sensory kit are provided to recipients who are selected through local organizations and schools. The Dowds were inspired to launch this player program due to Paige's education in Speech Therapy in college. Throughout the 2024-25 season, the Dowds continued to enjoy being able to meet with their ticket recipients post-game.

So Kids Soar: During the 2024-25 season, Dowd’s Crowd teamed up with Charlie and Mikkayla Lindgren’s Lindy’s Lineup to host a So Kids Soar adaptive skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. Approximately 60 children with physical and developmental disabilities skated with the Dowds and Lindgrens following practice.

Forty Three’s Friends: In 2018, Tom Wilson created Forty Three’s Friends to provide tickets and a special postgame meet and greet to kids waiting for their wishes to be granted by Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic. In 2019, he expanded his program to also include families selected by United Heroes League. Over the course of a season he donates tickets to families selected through Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic and United Heroes League and meets with the families postgame. Wilson chose Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic after being inspired by a former player who had donated tickets to Make-a-Wish Mid-Atlantic and selected United Heroes League after meeting many incredible men and women in the area who serve or have previously served in the military.

United Heroes League Clinic: Wilson surprised nearly 100 local children affiliated with United Heroes League by joining them in a hockey clinic at MedStar Capitals in January.

The nonprofit assists families of all branches of the military by providing free sports equipment, free youth camps, financial grants to pay sports fees, special experiences, and pro sports tickets so the entire family can enjoy a night out at the game.

Lindy’s Lineup: Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren and his wife Mikkayla launched Lindy’s Lineup, a player program focused on adaptive youth sports, in 2023. The mission of Lindy's Lineup is to provide opportunities for youth involved in adaptive sports as well as for children in special education classrooms. The Lindgrens were inspired to launch Lindy’s Lineup based on Mikkayla's background and current career in pediatric occupational therapy.

This season, in addition to hosting a So Kids Soar adaptive skate with Nic and Paige Dowd’s Dowd’s Crowd, Lindgren conducted post-game meet and greets with Lindy’s Lineup families.

So Kids Can: So Kids Can members Nicklas Backstrom, Martin Fehervary, Tom Wilson and The Elliot in the Morning Show’s Elliot Segal pledge $50 per Capitals win during the regular season and $100 per win during the playoffs each year to a youth-focused nonprofit organization. So Kids Can was created in 2008 by former Capitals defenseman Mike Green and Elliot Segal to benefit youth-focused, nonprofit organizations. Backstrom and former Caps forward Brooks Laich joined the cause in 2011, former Caps defenseman Karl Alzner and goaltender Braden Holtby joined in 2015, Wilson joined in 2017, former Capitals defenseman Brenden Dillon joined in 2021 and Fehervary joined in 2022. To date, So Kids Can has donated nearly $700,000 to charity.

A So Kids Can Sweepstakes raised $39,335 for Fight For Children. So Kids Can members launched the sweepstakes in October to kick off the 2024-25 season fundraising campaign. So Kids Can offered the opportunity for the winner, Corey Masson, and his three guests to attend the Nov. 2 game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. The group dined with Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom and Elliot in the Morning Show host Elliot Segal in the Owner’s Club prior to the game and also met with Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary and right wing Tom Wilson post-game. The winner received four glass seats to the game as well as complimentary parking and all-inclusive food and beverage service in the Caesars Sportsbook Lounge.

So Kids Can also teamed up with Fight For Children, Good Sports and Flag Star Football in March for an equipment donation and youth flag football clinic. Through the So Kids Can Initiative, the So Kids Can members donated $7,126 to provide 247 pieces of sports equipment to Flag Star Football Foundation. The brand-new sports equipment, including footballs, flag belts, cones, athletic apparel and agility ladders, will support their after-school programming for 350 children. On March 8, the So Kids Can members made a visit to a Flag Star Football’s clinic at The Fields at RFK Campus in Northeast D.C., spending time playing flag football and running drills with local kids.

The Gr8 Chase for Victory Over Cancer: Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals, Hockey Fights Cancer™ and the V Foundation for Cancer Research launched THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer® in March as an initiative to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research as Ovechkin nears the National Hockey League’s all-time career goals record. 100% of donations to the cause go directly toward pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation, and donations can be made at v.org/GR8chase. To date, more than $150,000 has been raised.

As part of THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer® campaign, Ovechkin is donating an amount equal to his career goal total for every goal he scores during the remainder of his NHL career, starting with the Capitals March 5 game against the New York Rangers. Ovechkin’s donations are being matched by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, meaning each goal scored will bring a donation that is double his career goal total at that time. Ovechkin is inviting fans to make an impact alongside him. Fans can support THE GR8 CHASE by donating $8, or any amount they can give, in honor of his historic pursuit of the NHL’s all-time goals record.

Ovi’s 8’s: In 2006, Ovechkin created Ovi's 8's to provide tickets to underserved children in the region. Currently, Ovechkin purchases eight Capitals season tickets and donates them to the American Special Hockey Association.

ASHA then distributes these tickets to participants, including the four local Special Hockey teams: Baltimore Saints, Montgomery Cheetahs, NOVA Cool Cats, and Washington Ice Dogs.

Since the creation of this program, Ovechkin has donated nearly 6,100 tickets to the community. He also hosts an event for all ASHA participants annually.
   

King Clancy Award Nominee: Forward Tom Wilson was named the club’s 2024-25 nominee for the National Hockey League’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The King Clancy Memorial trophy is awarded annually "to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community." Wilson actively gives back to the community through two player programs and by participating in additional initiatives throughout the season.

Caps Care Award: Forward Nic Dowd was named the recipient of the organization’s second annual Caps Care Community Award in honor of his efforts in the community during the 2024-25 season. Dowd was recognized ahead of the Capitals April 13 game vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets in a pre-game ceremony. Dowd was heavily involved in the community during the 2024-25 season, including through his participation in his own player program. The Caps Care Community Award was established in 2024 to recognize an individual Capitals player annually for his contributions to the community. A Caps Care Community Award recipient is selected annually by an internal committee on the basis of several criteria, including but not limited to: support of causes personally close to the player, participation in team and league initiatives and involvement in programming that benefits the community across Washington, D.C., Virginia and/or Maryland.

During a pregame ceremony on April 13, Elizabeth Pace, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation President and Executive Director, presented Dowd with a check for $20,000, to be split equally between So Kids SOAR and the Alzheimer’s Association – National Capital Area Chapter, charities selected by Dowd as beneficiaries. Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation provided $10,000 of the grant, with Dowd’s Crowd making a $10,000 match. Dowd. Dowd was also presented with the Caps Care Community Award Trophy by Capitals Director of Fan Development Caroline Potolicchio. They were joined on the ice by Dowd’s wife, Paige, and the couple’s children.

Ronald McDonald House Birthday Celebration: Capitals wives and girlfriends hosted a March birthday bash at the Ronald McDonald House DC. Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation provided a $25,000 grant on behalf of the Capitals. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, D.C. provides a "home-away-from-home" for families with seriously ill children receiving treatment at local hospitals.