ARLINGTON, Va. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation will receive The Salvation Army’s Community Partner Award on Tuesday, May 13, at United in Service. United in Service is a ceremony in recognition of volunteers and community partners for their compassionate work on behalf of The Salvation Army, which assists people in need throughout the Washington, D.C., region.
“MSE Foundation is honored to receive this prestigious award,” said Elizabeth Wodatch, MSE Foundation executive director. “We are thrilled that our partnership with The Salvation Army has been able to engage our players, staff and fans. We look forward to continuing to work with The Salvation Army to help the underserved population in the D.C. area.”
The Washington Capitals, Mystics and Wizards provided The Salvation Army with volunteer and financial support throughout 2013-14. In March 2013 Capitals players delivered meals to the homeless through The Salvation Army’s Grate Patrol program, while Monumental Sports & Entertainment staff members volunteered in The Salvation Army’s Back-to-School Shopping event at Target in Hyattsville, Md., in July. In conjunction with the Capitals and Wizards toy drives, MSE Foundation donated $10,000 to The Salvation Army National Area Command in December. The Salvation Army served as the beneficiary of both the Capitals and Wizards toy drives and was a beneficiary of the Foundation’s Family-to-Family program, through which MSE teams adopt families for the holidays. The teams also hosted bell ringers as part of The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign at home games in December.
“During the holidays, The Salvation Army reaches out to families in need and provides them with food, clothing and gifts,” said Paul Hebblethwaite, Salvation Army director of development. “Without partners like Monumental Sports & Entertainment, it would be difficult to respond to the overwhelming need. With Monumental’s help, The Salvation Army provided support to more than 6,000 children through the Angel Tree program in 2013.”
In 2013 MSE Foundation, along with the Leonsis Foundation, donated more than $1.5 million to local charities. MSE Foundation partners in 2014 include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Flashes of Hope, KaBOOM!, Playworks DC, the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association and The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command assisted more than 85,000 individuals last year from families living across the Greater Washington region by providing help and hope through a diverse range of social services. The organization offers emergency eviction and utility cut-off prevention assistance; grocery, clothing and furniture vouchers; meals for the hungry and homeless; support for the disabled, elderly and ill; drug and alcohol rehabilitation; disaster relief; transitional housing for single mothers with children; and character building opportunities for youth.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation supports the charitable efforts of the professional teams under its umbrella: the Washington Capitals, Mystics and Wizards. MSE is committed to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and focuses on the following five pillars to maximize its impact and engagement with the community: youth basketball and hockey, education and scholarship, pediatric health and fitness, military and veterans' affairs and hunger and homelessness.