West Michigan Special Hockey Association Team Leads Video Contest With $10,000 Top Prize

    GRAND RAPIDS, MI, November 21, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Patriots' two-minute video features coach Charlie Keider talking about who the WMSHA and Patriots are, why they're so important to those with special needs and how the $10,000 prize would help the team. This includes allowing the team to purchase ice time, skates and other equipment such as helmets, shoulder pads and shin guards. The video - a project donated by Sabo Public Relations - also features players in action on the ice.

"It costs $1,000 for each player to take the ice for the season, but we don't charge players to participate," Keider said. "Winning the $10,000 prize would mean so much to us. It would not only better protect our players, but it would also give them that feeling of camaraderie, that feeling of team. They would all have the same gear - no one would have better equipment - which would really help them gel as a team."

WMSHA relies entirely on the donations of friends, families and area organizations as well as funds raised through events and initiatives. Its first Summer Skate-a-Thon in August raised $4,000, and the organization's GoFundMe campaign last year raised more than $6,000.

The Patriots is among 10 finalists in the competition, which runs through Dec. 4. The Patriots and the Blue Jackets of the Columbus Chill Youth Hockey Association in Ohio are neck and neck in the voting. The Patriots hope their fellow Michiganders, including Spartans and Wolverines, will help them keep the lead - and keep the team from the Buckeye state at bay.

The videos are available on UCT's Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/UCTinAction - and individuals can vote once a day. The winner and runner-up, which will receive $5,000, will be announced some time in December.

The contest is sponsored by United Commercial Travelers, or UCT, an international member-benefit organization uniting people with a common passion for good citizenship and volunteerism to improve their local communities.

The WMSHA started last fall after a small group of aspiring players and parents and hockey fans got together to start a league for children with developmental and cognitive disabilities. The organization is open to any player older than 5, male or female, who is physically able to play but would be unable to participate in any other organized program due to his or her developmental disability.

About the West Michigan Special Hockey Association
The West Michigan Special Hockey Association, or WMSHA, is an amateur level ice hockey program for children and young adults with Down syndrome, autism or any other developmental disability. WMSHA is fielding the West Michigan Patriots, a team open to any player older than 5, male or female, who is physically able to play but would be unable to participate in any other organized program due to his or her developmental disability. There is no cost to participate, although the organization relies on friends, families and area organizations to support the program and each child's equipment and ice time, which costs about $1,000 per player. Contributions may be made via gofund.me/wmsha or by contacting [email protected].

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