One of the most important things people can do during the holiday season is to give back … to support those who have not been as lucky or fortunate as most of us. On Friday, December 28th, members of the Flames Midget 16AA White and Midget 18A teams took the opportunity to do just that — by volunteering their time to help the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley.
Organized by Tom Bailey, who runs dryland practices for both teams, players arrived early in the morning and built shelving for the Foundation’s storage unit, helping them gain valuable space for the supplies, equipment and other necessities. Along with the work outside at the storage unit, another group of players worked inside the Foundation’s offices, assembling shelving and organizing toys, supplies and other necessities.
The Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley (PCFLV) is a local, 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports the entire family battling pediatric cancer. They provide individual assistance based on the needs of their families, as well as organize events, and special get-togethers to create opportunities for those families to participate in fun and engaging activities, free of charge. These gatherings create a place for parents and kids to find nurturing support within the pediatric cancer community. PCFLV also makes hospital visits with an array of arts and crafts and toys to entertain and distract children during their treatment.
Besides the Flames’ efforts in building and assembling the shelves, plans are in the works to recognize “Honorary Captains” from the PCFLV at upcoming home games for the M16AA White an M18A teams. These “Honorary Captains” will be two children who are battling cancer and who are great lovers of hockey. During the games, plans call for a celebratory puck drop, a locker room visit and a seat in the scorers box for the honorary captains.
The Flames and the PCFLV are also indebted to the Home Depot of Whitehall, who donated over $200 of lumber and materials toward the project. With the lumber secured and a plan of action in place, the players took over (under supervision from Mr. Bailey and other Midget coaches), clearing out the storage unit and offices, building and assembling the shelves and completing the work by lunch time. PCFLV Executive Director Carrie Goldberg Tamutus treated the players and coaches to pizza to finish off the day’s work.
The Flames organization is indebted to the PCFLV for the opportunity to give back during this special time of the year. The PCFLV is located at 3312 7th Street, Lower Level, in Whitehall (across the street from the Whitehall Ice Hockey Rink) in the lower level of the Home Builders Office. Please visit their website at for more information on their incredible mission to help the families who are battling pediatric cancer.
To view all the photos and video from this day, click here.