Organization's charity work finishes '09 strong

The Idaho Steelheads organization wrapped up another strong year of charitable donations with a busy month of December. Included in the month was the annual Idaho Steelheads Booster Club ?Toy Toss,? the annual Future Stars jersey auction, and a number of charitable donations to local raffles, auctions, and events. The Future Stars jersey auction raised $6,000 for Saint Luke?s ? Elk?s Children?s Rehab. The players wore special jerseys of the team?s NHL affiliate, the Dallas Stars, and handed them over to fans after three games of silent auction. With the 2009 Future Stars auction, the Idaho Steelheads organization has now raised over $300,000 for local charities through jersey auctions. Two more jersey auctions are scheduled for this season with more information on those being released closer to the event dates.?We?re not just a team that plays in Boise,? team president Eric Trapp noted. ?We live here and we?re going to be here for a long time, so we need to be good members of our community.? The team?s booster club does its part as well, hosting the annual ?Toy Toss,? benefiting Toys for Tots. On Saturday, December 12, over 400 plush toys flew from the Qwest Arena stands onto the ice when John Swanson netted the game?s first goal. Combined with more than $2,000 in cash donations, Steelhead fans again dug deep to ensure a happy holiday for those less-fortunate in the Treasure Valley. Another staple of the team's community outreach is school visits, as head coach Derek Laxdal, players, and "Blue," the team's mascot, visited schools all over the valley. From Melba to Middleton, Boise to Nampa, representatives of the organization spread the message of good habits, from nutrition and exercise to behavior and school.The Steelheads and Qwest Arena have also partnered with the City of Boise and Allied Waste to be encourage conservation and recycling. The yellow bins places throughout the concourse at the arena are meant for recycling and fans have responded, as plastics and papers are being disposed of more and more in the recycling bins instead of the trash. Charitable donations to community events and charities is a year-round practice for the Steelheads as the team annually donates thousands of dollars worth of tickets and merchandise to non-profits in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. If you are curious about the guidelines for receiving a donation from the Steelheads, click here.