Gaudreau Household 5K raises greater than $500,000 for playground

Sports News


PHILADELPHIA — The primary 5K held within the reminiscence of John and Matthew Gaudreau helped elevate greater than $500,000, sufficient to interrupt floor later this yr on an accessible playground on the particular training college the place the hockey gamers’ mom works.

Thousands attended the Gaudreau Household 5K Stroll/Run and Household Day in Could at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a spot John and Matthew went lots of of occasions as youngsters and across the nook from Hollydell Ice Enviornment, the place they began enjoying hockey. The 5K drew greater than 1,100 individuals within the stroll, together with greater than 1,100 nearly within the U.S., Canada and world wide.

From cash raised within the stroll, together with contributions made in reminiscence of John and Matt, the monetary aim was met for the deliberate accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano College, the place Jane Gaudreau and her daughter Kristen work. It was a trigger John and Matthew had begun to champion in honor of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years on the college and died in 2023.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for late August or early September, with Oct. 4 tentatively set for the beginning of a neighborhood construct.

After a short scare of a twister watch the night time earlier than, the 5K went off with out a hitch.

“Due to the rain, we had so many individuals we thought won’t present up,” Jane Gaudreau mentioned. “However I felt prefer it was such a fantastic turnout. So many individuals requested us if we’ll do it once more subsequent yr. It simply such an outpouring of affection and care, a lot for the boys in our household.”

To reply the query, sure: The following Gaudreau Household 5K Stroll is tentatively scheduled for Could 16, 2026.

The Gaudreau brothers — John performed 10 full seasons within the NHL with Calgary and Columbus — had been killed final August on the eve of their sister’s marriage ceremony after they had been hit by a suspected drunken driver whereas driving bicycles of their dwelling state of New Jersey.

The playground initiative was launched by principal Michele McCloskey in October 2020. Elevating the mandatory funds over the previous 5 years had been a sluggish construct. So many mates from the hockey world and others now impressed by the brothers and the trigger have since rallied across the effort.

“We heard a lot from everybody how a lot they appreciated all the things [the brothers] did for the neighborhood, and they also rotated and helped us out,” Gaudreau mentioned. “We heard a whole lot of good tales, lots of people had been simply so beneficiant, simply desirous to be there for our household and no matter they may do to maintain John and Matty’s legacy alive, which is what we needed from the playground and to go ahead from right here.”

The Gaudreaus and the workers at Archbishop Damiano threw themselves into fundraising for a contemporary playground that enables for all the things from primary wheelchair accessibility to ramps and switch platforms for the scholars. College students tacked their want checklist for the playground to the partitions inside the varsity. The 5K occasion included a web-based memorabilia public sale that stretched past hockey, with all proceeds donated towards the playground effort and its unique $600,000 aim.

The brand new space for the playground has been staked out and the tools has been ordered, but there’s nonetheless work forward. The Gaudreaus and the varsity wanted all the things from 175 tons of crushed concrete to seaside sand to different development supplies to finish the venture.

“It is simply planning out our neighborhood construct, which we’ll want help on,” Gaudreau mentioned.

Archbishop Damiano College was based in 1968 for kids with Down syndrome and now gives providers for 135 college students with particular wants from ages 3 to 21. Jane Gaudreau’s brother attended the varsity, and their mom labored there. Jane was employed in 1984 and remains to be a finance affiliate. Kristen, the older daughter, has taught on the college for nearly 20 years. Katie, the youthful daughter, who bought married in July, used to help with the youngsters when she might, and the 2 Gaudreau boys volunteered on the college after they weren’t enjoying hockey.



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