As the holidays approach, members of the DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Penguins Elite organization have shown their commitment to community service. The PPE organization’s dedication to giving back is a year round commitment but during the holidays, several teams have undertaken initiatives to spread cheer and benefit local organizations and initiatives.

The Pens Elite 2009 Conway team gathered and packed personal care items for 110 residents of the Riverside Care Center. With the holidays coming up, this act of kindness will provide small gifts to residents that will not have any family or friend visitation during this time.

2011/2010 Edwards took part in the Play it Forward Pittsburgh gift drive collection. This initiative is celebrating its 10th year of donating gently used toys to families in need in the Pittsburgh area. Similarly, 2011 Attanucci took part in the Toys for Tots program which donates new toys to less fortunate children in the community each Christmas. The 19U, 16U and 14U Girls teams took part in a toy drive and donated to Moon Police Department, where they provided unwrapped children’s toys and books. 2009 Nelson also took part in a you drive as they shopped for toys to donate to the Northside Commons Missionary toy drive.

The 2006, 15U, 16U and 18U teams participated in the Friendship Bag Project. Together teams were able to provide over 70 small holiday gift packages which will be presented to a child in need in Washington County. The package consisted of a personal item, a small article of clothing, an activity item and an edible item. 10U Tindall provided care packages for sailors stationed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and also supported the local charity Bethlehem Haven with their care packages. 

Thank you to all of our DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Penguins Elite teams and players for your commitment to serving your community!

One of the core principles of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program is giving back to the community. All teams have the opportunity to complete an annual service project that benefits the community. On Sunday, September 13th, families from the10U and 12U Tindall girls teams participated in the Heitz of Heaven 5K Run/Walk held at the RMU Island Sports Center. 

This was the 8th annual running of the Heitz of Heaven 5K Run/Walk which is put on by the Heitz 61 Memorial Foundation. The foundation is founded in dedication to Ryan V. Heitzenrater, a Pittsburgh native who led an active life playing hockey and snowboarding among other sports but passed away in 2013 due to Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) after an unidentified viral infection.

Per the foundation’s website, Ryan “was a remarkable teenager who was very athletic, always had a smile on his face, and touched many lives during the short time he was here. His main sport was ice hockey, which he played for the Arctic Foxes Hockey Association for eight years.  He was also involved with football and track and field through Montour School District.  Ryan was an avid snowboarder who loved to do park and mountain riding.” 

Ryan’s connection to hockey and to Pittsburgh made the experience of participating in the 5K the perfect match for the Pens Elite girls teams. The Heitz 61 Memorial Foundation’s website says that it was created “through the eyes of Ryan and will help others within the community by promoting higher education and encouraging the physical well-being and teamwork of young people involved in sports”. The 5K event on Sunday was another spectacular example of that and the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite organization is proud to share the same values and goals.