By Cindy Himes

 

During this month when Valentines and hearts are prominently displayed, the Penguins Foundation would like to salute Jake Guentzel for his Hearts of Gold program and WubbaNubs charitable donations.

 

Last season, Jake teamed up with the Penguins Foundation to launch his Hearts of Gold program.  He purchased four season tickets to benefit children who suffered from congenital heart defects from Mended Little Hearts of Southwestern PA.  This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jake extended the Hearts of Gold program to include a benefit for UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

 

Hearts of Gold welcomed children and their families to each Penguins home game during the 2019-20 campaign.  After each game, the child and family members would meet their special host for the evening – Jake Guentzel – creating a magical experience from a night of Penguins hockey.

 

On October 18, 2019, 15-year old Megan McElhaney was the first Hearts of Gold guest of the season and her post-game meeting with Guentzel could not have been more memorable.

 

“For my family personally, it was the fact that you could tell Jake truly cared,” stated Beth McElhaney, Megan’s mother and Mended Little Hearts Program Coordinator.  “My daughter had just had her second open-heart surgery six months prior.  Jake listened and took the time to hear her story.  It brings tears to my eyes remembering it because these heart kiddos go through so much and Jake offered them a night to just be a kid and have fun.”

 

The Mended Little Hearts mission is to inspire hope and improve the quality of life of heart patients and their families through on-going peer-to-peer support, education, and advocacy.

In addition to the game tickets and the post-game meet & greet, EMBRACE Pittsburgh donated $25 per ticket in loaded value for food and beverages for all Hearts of Gold guests.

 

Fast forward to this season and the uncertainty of hosting guests at games during COVID…Enter the Penguins Foundation and Jake Guentzel; teaming up again to kick off the team’s exclusive WubbaNub fundraising program on December 4, 2020 to benefit UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

 

Guentzel fast-tracked sales by making a charitable contribution of $5,000 to UPMC Children’s Hospital, as well as purchasing and donating the first 100 Penguins WubbaNub pacifiers as a gift to the littlest fans at Mended Little Hearts, the gift serving as an extension of his Hearts of Gold program that was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

 

 

“I look forward to meeting so many fans each year through my Hearts of Gold program,” said Guentzel. “I wanted to do something to stay connected and still benefit the patients at UPMC Children’s. The WubbaNubs are a great way to give our tiniest fans some comfort right now.”

 

The Penguins WubbaNub pacifier features the team’s NHL-licensed logo, as well as a healing heart on the chest of the penguin plush.  To order yours in support of UPMC Children’s, visit:  https://shop.pittsburghpenguinsfoundation.org/.

 

So, during this month of heart-felt gestures, we truly appreciate Jake Guentzel’s heart of gold!

 

For more information on Mended Little Hearts of Southwestern PA, please visit http://www.swpa.mendedlittlehearts.net/.