Areas of Giving

Pediatric Cancer

Hats For Heroes - Fighting Pediatric Cancer
The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation Hats For Heroes program was founded in 2000 to both raise money to fight pediatric cancer and bring a smile to the face of a child battling pediatric cancer or any life threatening illness.

View a video tribute to our HEROES!  In-game feature

Funds to support the fight against pediatric cancer are generated by:

• Personal donations
• The sale of Hats For Heroes merchandise
• Foundation events throughout the season

Hats For Heroes Merchandise

The hats are available in the following colors and sizes:

Baby Blue Hat White/baby blue CBJ logo on front White Hats For Heroes logo on back	Navy Stripe Hat Full color CBJ logo on front red/white stripe on front White Hats For Heroes logo on back	Washed Navy/Red Hat Full color CBJ logo on front White Hats For Heroes logo on back

Hats For Heroes Hats can be purchased for the following prices:
$20 - BLANK HATS
$25 - SIGNED HATS (signed by ONE player on the team)
$50 - ALL STAR HATS (signed by Rick Nash)

Hats For Heroes Program
The program is an extension of the National NHL's All Star Kids program, a charitable initiative under the parent program, Hockey Fights Cancer, dedicated to Children’s Hospitals and pediatric patients throughout North America. Click here to view more Hats For Heroes pictures in the Blue Jackets Photo Gallery!

Pediatric Cancer Facts:
Progress in the development of effective new treatments and cures for childhood cancer has been remarkable over the last three decades.  Most children can now be cured-with fewer harmful side effects- if they are treated by pediatric cancer experts.  A diagnosis of cancer today is life changing but it is far from hopeless.

· The GOLD RIBBON signifies pediatric cancer!
· 170 new childhood cancer cases were diagnosed at Children's Hospital in 2005
· 1,000 children currently in treatment at Children’s Hospital. 
· Children’s Hospital follows more than 10,000 children that have undergone treatment for pediatric cancer.
· The cancers that attack children are unique, frequently presenting at a much more advanced stage than in adults.
· In one school day, 46 children-enough to fill two classrooms will learn they have cancer

Past Pediatric Cancer Specific Grant Recipients:
With every hat purchased, proceeds are donated to local non-profit organizations dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer and terminal pediatric illnesses. Past recipients include:
 ~ Hope Street Kids
 ~ Adventures For Wish Kids
 ~ Make-A-Wish Foundation
 ~ Nationwide Children’s Hospital
 ~ Kids 'n Kamp
 ~ Flying Horse Farms

The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation Family Resource Center:
Located along the primary public concourse in Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s new Clinical Expansion Facility, is a place of respite and comfort for patients’ families. The Center provides a variety of services and amenities to ease the stress that naturally accompanies any hospital stay. The space was designed to replicate the colors and overall atmosphere of Nationwide Arena, home to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

CLICK LINK TO TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR 700K

Sibling Support Program:
The grant to Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s oncology unit has been utilized to develop a sibling support program. Much research has indicated that the diagnosis and treatment of cancer not only impacts the patient, but the whole family. This program is a six-week curriculum-based program that has been designed for adolescent siblings aged 8-16 to provide education, key resources, and counseling. The sessions are led by trained psychologists and social workers who follow an educational workbook. Each child receives a tour of the hospital and a special graduation ceremony with Blue Jackets mascot, Stinger.

Click here for more information

Stingers Bravery Beads Program:

In addition, the Blue Jackets Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital have unveiled a new program, Stinger’s Bravery Beads, as part of the continued commitment to fighting pediatric cancer. Stinger’s Bravery Beads is a program designed to allow patients the opportunity to collect beads of multiple shapes and colors to correspond with various stages of their cancer treatment. (Example: a red bead for a blood transfusion, a green bead for a chemotherapy treatment, etc.). Each child will receive their very own starting kit which includes a Blue Jackets Foundation bead, a Stinger bead, a Children’s Hospital bead and the child’s name in lettered beads complete with a plastic puck case from Stinger.

Hospital Visits:
Since it's inception in 2001, the Hats For Heroes program has quickly become the signature program for the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation. All of the Blue Jackets players are actively involved in the program by regularly autographing hats and making appearances on the oncology/hematology units at Nationwide Children's and OhioHealth's Hospitals to greet patients and deliver personalized hats.


The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation hosted the annual Hats For Heroes Game at Nationwide Arena on Saturday, February 2, 2008.  

Each year this game is dedicated to creating awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer and features in-game participation by the Foundation's youngest heroes currently battling life threatening illnesses. Over 10 young pediatric patients are involved in key elements of the game from the puck drop and stick boy/girl to Zamboni rides. After the game they are greeted by Blue Jackets players.  Thanks to the Blue Jackets fans and Hats For Heroes Families, the Foundation was able to bring awareness to and raise $12,000 for the fight pediatric cancer during the 2008 game!

With a generous donation by promotional partner, Relay Gear and FOP Capital City Lodge #9, representing all Franklin County officers, 100% of the proceeds of the night's hat sales will be earmarked for the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation's Hats For Heroes program. In addition, Capital City Lodge #9 is proud to team up with the Blue Jackets Foundation to provide each hero in attendance that night with an exclusive "Together We Fight" captains' hat!

Each season, fans are encouraged to stop by one of the Hats For Heroes hat stations throughout the building to meet some of the heroes and their families, to purchase one of the fourth edition Hats For Heroes hats or t-shirts, or to make a general donation.

bd's mongolian barbeque Hats For Heroes Night:

The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation teamed up with bd’s mongolian barbeque to host Hats For Heroes Week from Monday, February 25 – Friday, February 29

$5 from every Hats For Heroes Meal was donated to the fight against pediatric cancer. Donors could visit the Easton, Dublin, or Arena District bd’s mongolian barbeque restaurant and sign up with your server.  All guests purchasing a Hats For Heroes Meal will be registered to win lunch with Coach Tyler Wright.

League Wide Look:

Based on the success of the program locally, the National Hockey League is currently looking into other NHL cities creating a similar Hats For Heroes program in their market with their local Children's Hospital.

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Education

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation are dedicated to promoting education within the Central Ohio community through various educational initiatives including (click on the topic for more information):

• Blue Jackets At School program in partnership with OhioHealth
• Book Jackets program presented by UNIVAR
• Communities In Schools “Adopt-a-School” program
• The Columbus Dispatch’s Newspapers In Education program
• Skate into Scouting - Boy Scouts of America (Simon Kenton Council)
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• Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation High School Hockey Scholarship and other scholarship/grant partnerships

Click here to view the Education grant recipients

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Children's Health and Safety

The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation is committed each season to keeping children within the Central Ohio community safe and healthy by promoting wellness through various outreach programming.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Sport Helmet Program – The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital team up each year to distribute Blue Jackets branded bike helmets to area youth visiting the hospital as a result of head traumas. Head traumas are among the leading causes of hospital stays for children and the Foundation is proud to have donated over 15,000 helmets to the Central Ohio area – helping to make wearing a helmet the “coolest” thing to do.

As an important extension of this sport helmet program, the Foundation dedicates helmets to each of the Chiller Ice Rinks and encourages skaters to utilize one of these branded helmets during all public skate and class sessions.

BlueJackets@School in partnership with OhioHealth – Students and educators in any grade elementary - 6^th can Get Up and Go with this new educational initiative. Classroom ready lesson plans for fitness/nutrition/physical education are written to coincide with the Ohio education curriculum standards and encourage students to complete OhioHealth's Jackets Fitness Challenge!

#61 Club’s Good Health Challenge – Teaming up with Blue Jackets #61, Rick Nash, the Columbus Dispatch Newspapers in Education program and Giant Eagle, are encouraging kids throughout Central Ohio to make good choices and develop healthy habits. Elementary and Middle Schoolers can download a healthy habits scorecard, keep track of their healthy choices, and return the cards to the Blue Jackets to be enrolled into a drawing for 2 tickets to a CBJ home game in the #61 Club or a chance to host Rick Nash at their school!

Easter Seals – Grant supports the local chapter’s soon-to-open Life Skills Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed to replicate a home environment in which patients will engage in physical therapy simulating real-world applications.  The grant provides name entitlement and Blue Jackets branding at the new center.

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Development of Youth and Amateur Hockey

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation are committed to the development of youth and amateur hockey. Investing in the future of the sport and breaking the barriers to entry into the sport are two integral focuses that the Foundation has maintained since its inception. Through the Fan and Community Development departments, many events and programs have been introduced that teach the fundamentals of hockey to people of all ages in a safe and professional environment. The Blue Jackets continually look to improve participant numbers and accomplish this through strong partnerships with youth organizations and ice rinks throughout the state.

The Foundation awards financial support and scholarships for deserving youth involved in the sport of hockey. In addition, a Blue Jackets Foundation Equipment Bank, at the Easton Chiller, gives all children interested in giving hockey a try the opportunity to borrow a full set of hockey gear for their classes. To date, the Foundation has also donated over 15,000 Blue Jackets sport helmets to local youth to promote sport safety. All skaters are encouraged to utilize one of these branded helmets during all public skate and class sessions.

Click here for learn more about programs or contact Rob Schriner (614) 519-6172

Click here to view the Youth and Amateur Hockey grant recipients