November 11th was Veterans Day and I thought this month was the perfect time to talk about hockey, the New Jersey Devils, and an awesome charity.
I had the opportunity to speak with a couple members of the United Heroes League. I asked their Chief Marketing/Development Officer Benjamin Mattson some questions.
They work with “Pro Athlete Ambassadors” which include a couple current and former Devils. Kyle Palmieri and Ben Lovejoy are the active Devils while Bryce Salvador and former Devils Paul Martin and Zach Parise work with them as well.
Before we get into the questions, I thought I’d explain why I think this charity is so awesome/important. As a veteran that just came off Active Duty a little over a year ago, I understand how difficult both the transition home from a deployment and the transition from the civilian world can be.
Assimilating back into society after a deployment or after a move can be difficult not only for the service member but also their families. Using sports as an outlet was one of the major ways I adjusted to being back in the states.
I’ve also had friends who have wanted to get their children involved in hockey, but it was wasn’t feasible financially. This charity helps give veterans/service members and their families the opportunities they may never have even thought were possible before.
Now for the questions.
Tyler: Could you just give me a brief synopsis of what exactly you all do for veterans and their families?
Ben Mattson: United Heroes League is a national nonprofit that empowers military families to stay healthy and active by battling the financial burden associated with sports.
We provide free sports equipment for military families, at no charge. We also provide free skill development camps, financial grants to pay for association dues, etc. and we send military families to pro sports events and other events, for free.
Tyler: What inspired your organization to start doing such awesome work for veterans?
Ben: Our founder, retired First Sargent Shane Hudella ARNG, was visiting with pro hockey players about the life of a military service member. He discovered that there weren’t any nonprofits dedicated to what we were doing.
Tyler: More specifically, why sports?
Ben: Sports was a great tie in to community, and military families are often moved from place to place. Sports brings with it a sense of community, and keeps the family healthy and active.
Tyler: Do you operate nationwide or are there only certain cities/states you work in currently?
Ben: We operate out of a HQ in Minnesota, but we’ve shipped free gear to all 50 states, plus Canada and a bunch of deployed soldiers around the world. We have 24 active regional programs in the US, run by volunteers, that host events for our families.
Tyler: How can people who want to get involved get involved?
Ben: The best way is to get to our website. There, you can find ways to donate time, money, product, gear, etc. Military families can also request benefits.
As you can see they do some incredible work. If you have any more questions you can go to their website here, or their twitter here. United Heroes League’s end of year campaign is currently ongoing. You can donate here, anything helps!