Minnesota Hockey has announced details of Gear Up Minnesota! presented by Total Hockey and the Minnesota Wild Foundation. Approximately $30,000 of starter hockey equipment grants will be made available to Minnesota Hockey community-based hockey associations throughout the state via Gear Up Minnesota! Gear Up Minnesota! (formerly the Play Our Game Equipment Grant Program) was started in 2000 to assist community-based hockey associations with recruiting new players and keeping hockey as affordable as possible. Close to $125,000 in equipment has been donated to associations across Minnesota in the 10 years of the program’s existence.

 “Our goal of providing every boy and girl an opportunity to participate in the great tradition of hockey in Minnesota continues to this day,” said Brad Bombardir, Vice Chair of the Minnesota Wild Foundation. “It is very rewarding to be part of the continued growth of youth hockey in Minnesota!”

A new supporter of Gear Up Minnesota! is Total Hockey. Total Hockey will be contributing $15,000 of starter hockey equipment to Gear Up Minnesota!. Known for its innovative approach to both its online and retail approach of selling hockey equipment, Total Hockey recently opened stores in Maplewood and Minnetonka.

“We’re very excited to be involved with Gear Up Minnesota!,” said Michael Benoit, president and CEO of Total Hockey. “Our mission is to grow the game and the first step is to introduce newcomers to hockey. The second step: outfitting them in properly sized equipment, so the kids can focus on having fun on the ice.”

In addition, RBC Wealth Management will also be making a contribution to Gear Up Minnesota!
 

The application for the 2012-2013 grant can be found here.

The Minnesota Wild Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Minnesota Wild Foundation dedicates its unique resources to support children’s medical causes, educational initiatives and to advance youth hockey throughout the State of Hockey. For more information on the Minnesota Wild Foundation, visit www.wild.com.

Total Hockey is a privately held hockey equipment retailer based in St. Louis, Mo., that is dedicated to providing the latest in hockey equipment, superior quality merchandise and excellent customer service. Founded in 1998, Total Hockey has embarked on a broad-scale expansion in specialty hockey operations and now has ten retail stores in the greater St. Louis, Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul areas, as well as an e-commerce facility at totalhockey.com. For more information, call toll-free at 866.929.6699.

RBC Wealth Management operates as a division of RBC Capital Markets Corporation and has corporate headquarters in Minneapolis. Founded in 1909, RBC Capital Markets, LLC is a member of the New York Stock Exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and other major securities exchanges, as well as the Securities Investor Protection Corp. In 2009 the firm gave approximately $4.1 million to charitable causes in communities in which it serves. For additional information please go to www.rbcwm-usa.com.

Minnesota Hockey, a USA Hockey affiliate, is the governing body of youth hockey in Minnesota and the premier developer of hockey players in the state. With over 63,000 registered players and coaches, it is the largest state governing body for hockey in the United States. For additional information on Minnesota Hockey and its programs please go to www.minnesotahockey.org.