Johnson Attends Health IT Now! Reception Washington Capitals goaltender Brent Johnson attended the Health IT Now! reception on June 4 at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Health IT Now! is a coalition to promote the rapid deployment of heath information technology. This was Johnson’s first official visit to Capitol Hill and he was able to witness the legislative process first hand. Johnson mingled with attendees including Representative Ed Towns (D-NY) and signed autographs. Health IT Now! unites patients, practitioners and employers, working together to improve quality of patient care, consumer convenience and patient health while lowering health care costs. For more information visit the coalition’s website, www.healthitnow.org. |
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| Kolzig Attends Seventh Annual KEEN Greater DC Celebrates Sports Festival Washington Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig attended the seventh annual KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now) Greater DC Sports Festival at Hadley’s Playground at Falls Road Park in Potomac, Md., on June 1. This is the second year that Kolzig has attended the event.  KEEN is an organization devoted to providing free recreational programs to young people with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. The Sports Festival is a day of activities and recreation for children and young adults. Because KEEN’s activities take place throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, the Sports Festival is the one time each year that athletes, families and volunteers are able to celebrate their accomplishments together. “KEEN is a great organization. Having a son with autism, I realize how important it is to have a program like this where he and others like him can play sports,” said Kolzig. “I’d like to continue working with KEEN and somehow make them a part of Athletes Against Autism.” Kolzig signed autographs and talked to the hundreds of athletes, families, friends and volunteers who attended the Sports Festival. Kolzig also participated in the traditional “Prouds” session where KEEN athletes shared an accomplishment from the day with the group and were presented with a medal from the Caps goaltender. KEEN is a national, nonprofit, volunteer-led organization that provides one-to-one recreational opportunities for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities. KEEN provides free swimming, bowling, tennis, fitness, and music programs to their participants. Because KEEN’s activities are non-competitive and inclusive, they cater to young people whose disabilities may make it difficult to find programs that suit their needs. KEEN has never turned an athlete away due to the type or severity of his or her disability and strives to fill a void in the lives of these young people. Founded in 1992, KEEN programs have grown across Montgomery County, Md., Fairfax County, Va., and Southeast Washington to serve hundreds of athletes and their families. |
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Steve Kolbe and Slapshot Visit Mitchell Elementary School Capitals broadcaster Steve Kolbe and team mascot Slapshot visited Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School in La Plata, Md., on Friday, April 18. Mitchell Elementary School won the Washington Capitals online pep rally contest earlier this week. Corey Specht, a fourth-grade teacher, submitted a photo of the entire Mitchell fourth grade class spelling out “CAPS” on the school grounds. The photo received more than 11,000 votes, and the school won a Caps pep rally.The entire school was “Rockin’ the Red” and chanting, “Let’s go Caps,” as the Capitals entered the parking lot. Kolbe hosted the pep rally in front of the school and all 600 plus students were in attendance. Kolbe congratulated the fourth-grade class and presented the school with a set of street hockey equipment donated by the Capitals. Kolbe also passed professional hockey equipment around to the students, so they could see what the Capitals wear while playing.  Slapshot was the main attraction at the pep rally. He started the wave and high-fived all the students as he ran through the crowd and hyped up the students. He also took photos with each class and played street hockey with the kids. Before leaving Kolbe and Slapshot started “Let’s go Caps,” and “Rock the Red” chants. They also presented Specht with a team-signed Caps jersey and gave the fourth graders “Rock the Red” T-Shirts and Caps goody bags. |
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George Mason Elementary School Wins $1,000 Grant in Final Installment of Caps Care Click to Win The Washington Capitals would like to congratulate George Mason Elementary School on winning a $1,000 Caps Care Click to Win grant from Washington Capitals Charities. George Mason had the highest attendance percentage rate among the Caps Care Click to Win schools attending the Capitals game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, April 3. With the $500 grant George Mason Elementary School was awarded for being selected, this brings the grand total of its Caps Care Click to Win grant to $1,500. |
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| The Washington Latin Public Charter School Wins $1,000 Grant in Seventh Installment of Caps Care Click to Win The Washington Capitals would like to congratulate The Washington Latin Public Charter School on winning a $1,000 Caps Care Click to Win grant from Washington Capitals Charities. The Washington Latin Public Charter School had the highest attendance percentage rate among the Caps Care Click to Win schools attending the Capitals game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, April 1. With the $500 grant The Washington Latin Public Charter School was awarded for being selected, this brings the grand total of its Caps Care Click to Win grant to $1,500. |
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| Brian Pothier Congratulates Third-Grade Class at Saint Leo the Great Catholic School Washington Capitals defenseman Brian Pothier paid a visit to the third-grade class of Ms. Deborah Ball at Saint Leo the Great Catholic School in Fairfax, Va., on Wednesday, April 2. Pothier met with students to congratulate them on their outstanding achievement through the Reading Is Cool program presented by Chevy Chase Bank. All 23 students in Ball’s class read at least one chapter book or five picture books with multicultural themes during the month of February. This earned the class a Caps player visit. Upon arrival at the school, Pothier was escorted to the classroom by two students wearing Caps jerseys. The moment Pothier entered the classroom he was greeted by students and parents, all of whom were cheering, holding up signs and wearing Caps gear. The students excitably told the defenseman they had seen the Capitals win over Carolina the evening prior and are rooting for the team to make the playoffs.  The school principal introduced Pothier to the class and explained how this Caps player visit is an example of being rewarded for a job well done. Pothier congratulated the class on accomplishing the February reading challenge and he stressed the importance of goal setting and working hard. The third-grade students fired away question after question at Pothier. He was asked where he has traveled in Europe, why he chose to wear the number two, what it is like to play with teammate Alex Ovechkin, whether his family members play hockey and what food is his favorite. Also, Pothier and the class discussed the Caps new jerseys and the uniform unveiling that took place last June. They discussed things from playing for Team USA to how many teeth he has lost and the movie Ice Age. The students impressed Pothier with their research on him, especially when one student wished him a happy early birthday. One last treat for the students was receiving gift bags, autographs from Pothier and a group photo with the Caps player to conclude the visit. Pothier received letters, pictures and a banner in return as a token of the class’ appreciation for his time. Ball’s students along with the fourth-grade class of Lisa Harlow and Carrie Pendleton from R.C. Haydon Elementary School in Manassas, Va., were the two winning Reading Is Cool classes for the month of February. Both classes had all students complete that month’s reading challenges. This earned Ball’s class Wednesday’s Caps player visit and Harlow and Pendleton’s class complimentary tickets to the March 14, Caps game. The Reading Is Cool program presented by Chevy Chase Bank has concluded for the 2007-08 season. Please check WashingtonCaps.com in the fall to register your class for next season’s Reading Is Cool program. |
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| Capitals’ Amazing Auction Raises Record $96,995 for Charity The Washington Capitals held their third annual Amazing Auction after the Caps game on Sunday, March 17, at Verizon Center. The auction, hosted by Capitals players’ wives and girlfriends, raised a record $96,995 for Washington Capitals Charities and Sports Plus, a metropolitan-D.C., non-profit organization that offers co-ed sports programs to children with developmental disabilities. More than 300 people were in attendance at the sold-out event.  Following the team’s 2-1 shootout victory against Boston, Capitals players, coaches and vice president and general manager George McPhee headed to the Acela Club to meet, mingle and sign autographs for guests at the Amazing Auction. The participants were treated to dinner and drinks, and had the opportunity to meet the entire team and take part in a silent auction, live auction and raffle. All attendees left with an Amazing Auction t-shirt, an Autism Awareness car magnet and a Capitals-branded Sharpie. The highest bid of the evening came during the live auction when one fan bid $12,200 for an NCAA men’s basketball tournament package that included four row A tickets to Thursday’s 2008 NCAA men’s basketball regional games at Verizon Center, as well as a pair of tickets to Saturday’s matchups. Capitals captain Chris Clark and leading scorer Alex Ovechkin will attend the games on Saturday with the lucky winner. The silent auction saw its highest bid of $3,500 go to a framed Washington Capitals "Young Guns" poster autographed by Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. The live auction raised $35,350 for both charities, while the silent auction raised an impressive $33,100. Sports Plus Sports Plus is a metropolitan Washington based nonprofit organization that offers year-round, uniquely structured co-ed sports and swimming programs for children between the ages of 5-14 with mild to moderate autistic spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD and other developmental disabilities. |
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Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School Wins $1,000 Grant in Sixth Installment of Caps Care Click to Win The Washington Capitals would like to congratulate Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School on winning a $1,000 Caps Care Click to Win grant from Washington Capitals Charities. Thurgood Marshall Academy had the highest attendance percentage rate among the Caps Care Click to Win schools attending the Capitals game against the Atlanta Thrashers on Friday, March 14. With the $500 grant Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School was awarded for being selected, this brings the grand total of its Caps Care Click to Win grant to $1,500. |
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