A massive $25,000 donation from the Dallas Stars and Amazon just blindsided the incredible ‘Brave Like Ellie’ foundation yesterday, absolutely blowing past their North Texas Giving Day goal by 2.5 times and immediately jump-starting their $60,000 Christmas target. Talk about an unexpected power play for a truly deserving cause!
A Surprise Play for the Ages
The whole thing went down at Comerica Center in Frisco. ‘Brave Like Ellie’ folks thought they were just there to record some promotional video. Little did they know, the Stars organization and Amazon had a different kind of production in mind. Right there, in what was meant to be a routine shoot, Stars players Matt Duchene and Thomas Harley walked in, not with pucks or sticks, but with one of those giant checks. The emotion and excitement? It was off the charts, totally amazing to witness. This wasn’t some quiet handover, this was a full-on, tear-jerking surprise that lit up the room.
Heartstrings and Heroes
This wasn’t just some random gesture, either. For Matt Duchene, it was personal. He’d worked with ‘Brave Like Ellie’ last year through his charity suite, and as he said, his own youngest is named Ellie, and the foundation is inspired by Founder Jennifer Johnson’s youngest, Elizabeth Grace (Ellie), who tragically passed from acute myeloid leukemia at age three in 2017. “Tugs on some serious heartstrings for me,” Duchene shared, noting the inspiration behind their work was really similar. When Amazon came calling, ‘Brave Like Ellie’ was Duchene’s first thought. Thomas Harley felt it too. “It’s pretty special,” Harley said, adding he saw someone tearing up. He nailed it: “Anytime you’re able to give back like this, it’s pretty special… it’s important for us as athletes to do this.” The Stars as an organization are clearly all-in on finding ways to support these efforts. Brave Like Ellie serves North Texas families affected by pediatric cancer, providing “Brave Boxes” filled with toys, activities, and comfort items, and even creates “party in a box” holiday packages for families stuck in the hospital.
With Stars GM Jim Nill and head coach Glen Gulutzan set for press conferences tomorrow to officially kick off training camp, it feels like this team is already making moves that matter, both on and off the ice. What an absolute class act from the organization, Duchene, and Harley, setting the tone way before puck drop. And for Brave Like Ellie, this donation is a game-changer, giving them a serious boost toward that $60,000 Christmas goal.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply