Royals Join Efforts of Kalamazoo Wings and ECHL to Raise Money and Awareness for Help Now! Fund

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL today pledged the proceeds from the fifty-fifty fundraiser during the team’s matchup against the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday, March 5 @ 7:00 pm to the HelpNow! Fund, a Michigan-based collaborative fund established by the Battle Creek Community Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, and the United Way of the Battle Creek to support the community response after the mass shooting in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on February 20.

“Horrific events like this make you realize how random and fragile life truly is. I was in Kalamazoo two weeks before the shootings took place so this obviously strikes a nerve with me,” said Team President Drew Bell. “We are proud to take part in this fundraiser alongside our family, the Kalamazoo Wings, and encourage people to come out to our annual scout night on March 5th and try their luck at the 50-50. The worst thing that can happen is their money will be donated to a great cause helping the victims and their families of this senseless act.”

The Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL have taken a lead position in the community’s response after this tragic event. The Wings have pledged $2 from each ticket sold to their home game on Saturday, March 5 against the Utah Grizzlies and all of the proceeds from their March 17 St. Patrick’s Day jerseys to the Help Now! Fund. Similarly, the ECHL has announced the league’s plans to donate a portion of the jersey auction proceeds from the 2016 CCM/ECHL Hockey Heritage games, which were celebrated in Kalamazoo in early February.

For more information on the Help Now! Fund and for further information on how to donate via online, mail, or $10 TEXT options, please visit - http://www.bccfoundation.org/HelpNow.

The Help Now! Fund is a regional fund for all of the affected areas of the mass shooting, and will raise proceeds for:

• Supporting special financial needs of the victims and their families
• Sponsoring community vigils and anti-violence education events and activities
• Specially designed community counseling, healing and safety services that address the aftermath of violence
• Citizen safety planning and violence preparedness efforts
• Other activities directed toward reducing violence

The Royals return to action tonight (Friday, February 26 @ 7:05 pm) when the team travels to First Arena in Elmira, New York, to face the Elmira Jackals. That game can be heard on CBS SportsRadio 1240 AM and 98.5 FM in Reading, Pennsylvania, starting with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield at 6:30 pm Eastern Time. As with all Royals’ road games, Friday’s game in Elmira will be televised locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on BCTV courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations. Streaming audio is available free of charge on the Royals’ website (follow the ‘headset’ icon); and streaming video is available on a pay-per-view basis through ECHL.TV.

For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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