From www.nhl.com
Players met with kids and families and delivered Wild Wingers Kids Club kits to patients
By Jenelyn Russo / Special to AnaheimDucks.com
The halls of CHOC Children’s were brightened by the spirit of giving Tuesday afternoon, as the Ducks made a special visit to those patients receiving care at the pediatric hospital during this holiday season.
Ducks players met with kids and families by making room-to-room visits throughout several departments in the hospital and delivering gifts of Wild Wingers Kids Club kits and donated blankets to the CHOC patients.
The December visit is part of an effort by the club to celebrate the holiday season through the 11th annual Anaheim Ducks Kits for Kids Donation Drive. Throughout the month, Ducks fans have the opportunity to purchase and donate Wild Wingers Kids Club kits that will be delivered to the patients at CHOC.
This year’s kit includes a number of items for kids to show their support for the Ducks, such as a Jakob Silfverberg player t-shirt and bobblehead, a Ducks jersey lunch box, a mini hockey stick and puck set and an activity book. Membership benefits also include one ticket voucher to a select 2016-17 Anaheim Ducks home game, tickets to exclusive parties held throughout the season and discount coupons.
Serving as Wild Wingers Kids Club Captain this season, Silfverberg knows the significance these gifts have on the kids during what is often a challenging time.
“It’s big when you see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they get the (Kids Club kit) box,” Silfverberg said. “Hopefully it eases up their day a little bit and gives them some energy to help them get through these tough times.”
Silfverberg also acknowledged the impact interacting with the kids and families has on the players themselves.
“At the same time, it gives us a lot too,” Silfverberg said. “It puts some perspective in our lives. We’re all just happy to be here. I think the Ducks have been doing a great job with this. It’s a great thing.”
Tustin resident and Foothill High School sophomore Sydney Sigafus, is at CHOC to begin treatment for Ewing sarcoma, a childhood bone cancer.
The active 15-year old, who is a member of Foothill’s junior varsity girls basketball team and is an avid surfer, was receiving treatment for a sports injury when the cancer was discovered. Chemotherapy treatments and surgeries lie ahead, but the early detection gives Sigafus a good prognosis.
Silfverberg, along with Corey Perry, Kevin Bieksa, Rickard Rakell, Sami Vatanen and John Gibson stopped by her room to deliver a Wild Wingers Kids Club kit and some holiday cheer. From one athlete to another, Sigafus appreciated the time the Ducks players took to visit her and her family.
“It’s so great because they could be doing anything else, and they chose to come here,” Sigafus said. “They decided to help out some kids who can’t do everything they want to do right now. I think it’s awesome.”
With a strong interest in broadcasting, Sigafus serves as the sport anchor at her high school. But she isn’t letting her time away from campus keep her from being on the air. She and her parents, Patti and David, have worked with the staff at CHOC to arrange for Sigafus to continue her broadcasts from the hospital. Her family is grateful to CHOC for their continued efforts to keep things as normal as possible for their daughter.
“CHOC has been excellent in their care and in just keeping things positive for her,” David Sigafus said. “And they provide days like this with the Ducks. We’re so grateful.”
A longtime participant in this type of community outreach, Bieksa understands how these visits can bring a breath of fresh air to kids and families who endure hospital stays during the holiday season.
“It’s a bit of a distraction for them,” Bieksa said. “Obviously they’re going through some hard times. We’re just trying to offer them a little break in the day, get some smiles out of them and have a little bit of fun. It’s something that they are enjoying, but so are we. It’s something that we always look forward to, especially around the holidays.”
His role as dad off the ice provides Bieksa some perspective on the difficulties these families face.
“Being a father of two kids, it’s tough to see children in here, fighting and battling,” Bieksa said. “But it’s inspirational at the same time. They’re tough. They don’t complain. They’re going through some tough times, but they’re fighting.”
Maria Pelehrinis knows her daughter, Angeliki, is fighting too. The 19-year old college student has been forced to take a break from her studies to receive treatment, and spending time with the Ducks players was just the encouragement she needed.
“For them to take time out to be here and give a little bit of hope, it means so much,” Pelehrinis said. “She’s trying to win, just like they are on the ice.”
Overcome with emotion, Pelehrinis was clear about the impact a simple visit from professional athletes can have on a child who has had her life turned upside down.
“She’s overwhelmed and thankful,” Pelehrinis said. “It reminds her that she’s not forgotten. She needed this.”
For more information on the Kits for Kids Donation Drive and to donate, visit anaheimducks.com/choc.
