The Florida Panthers hit the ice in Fort Lauderdale to give a group of kids a very special surprise — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to skate with the Stanley Cup champs, thanks in part to a nonprofit focused on creating friendships.
It was a skate-around like no other at the Baptist Health IcePlex on Saturday.
Skaters from the Florida Panthers Adaptive Hockey program and Best Buddies International got an assist from Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe … and the Stanley Cup.
“Yeah, seeing them with the Cup, too, they’re going crazy,” said Verhaeghe. “It’s so special for them to have this opportunity, too, so it’s great sharing this with them.”
Team mascot Stanley C. Panther was there for the action, too.
The NHL franchise and organizations supporting members of the community with special needs made one thing clear: Wheelchairs and skates can all be at home on the ice.
“It was so incredible!” said Desmond Johnson with Best Buddies.
“It was a lot of fun. Everyone there from Best Buddies and Special Olympics that I’m involved with,” said Matt Cohen with Best Buddies.
“We had our Special Olympics athletes getting the time of their life. They’d been looking forward to this moment when we told them this chance was going to happen.” said Sergio Xiques, Regional Director for Special Olympics Florida. “It’s incredible to see Carter and the Panthers givng back to the community in the way they did today.”
The magic of a frosty Florida Saturday with a member of the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions and the chance to check it out in person added up to one very special day.
Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization committed to providing employment opportunities, inclusive living and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. WSVN is a proud sponsor.