Hurricanes Kids'N Community Foundation Donates $575,000

There are a lot of reasons why a community would want to have a professional hockey team in the area and here is a big one.  The Carolina Hurricanes announced yesterday that their "Kids "N Community Foundation" has donated a total of $575,000 in cash grants to 27 different organizations during the 2015-16 season.

The foundation has donated more than $13 million since the Hurricanes moved here in 1997.

Canes Country will have more about this in the offseason but for more specific information right now, check out the team's release below as well as Carolina Hurricanes.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 29, 2016

KIDS ‘N COMMUNITY FOUNDATION DONATES $575,000

Funding provided to 27 different children’s charitable organizations

RALEIGH, NC – Doug Warf, Vice President of Marketing for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes and Executive Director of the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation, today announced that the Kids ‘N Community Foundation has donated a total of $575,000 in cash grants to 27 different children’s charitable organizations in North Carolina during the 2015-16 season. This grant cycle brings the Foundation and team’s donation totals to more than $13 million in cash and in-kind services since 1997.

GOAL (Growing Opportunities and Leaders) Grants were introduced by the Kids N’ Community Foundation in 2012, and are distributed in $50,000 increments, for a total of $150,000 over three years, to six organizations. Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, The Hill Center/Boys & Girls Club of Greater Durham, East Durham Children’s Initiative, Durham Nativity School and Transitions LifeCare each received incremental funding in 2015-16.

The Foundation issued 15 Game Changer Grants during their spring grant cycle, totaling $150,000. The Game Changer Grant recipients are: CORRAL Riding Academy, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Next Level Living, Raleigh Little Theatre and Wake County 4-H Youth Development at the $5,000 level; Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle, Kramden Institute, PLM Families Together, The Hope Center at Pullen and USO of North Carolina at the $10,000 level; Book Harvest, Emily K Center, Girls on the Run of the Triangle, Miracle League of the Triangle, Ronald McDonald House of Durham and Wake at the $15,000 level.

Future Canes Grants, awarded to 6 youth hockey organizations, totaled $125,000. Future Canes Grants are provided to grow the sport of hockey throughout North Carolina, and the funds go towards scholarships and program costs to ensure that children who suffer financial restraints or disabilities are able to play ice hockey. Future Canes Grant recipients are: Coastal Carolina Youth Hockey Association, Defending the Blue Line, Raleigh Youth Hockey Association, Triangle Special Hockey Association, Triangle Youth Hockey Association and Winston-Salem Youth Hockey Association.

The Kids ‘N Community Foundation will host a celebration night at the game on March 31 vs. the New York Rangers. All 27 groups will be represented during an on ice check presentation during the first intermission.