What Is the Program And/Or Service That You Offer?

• Tell us why you’re passionate about helping military families, i.e., why do you want to help?

I have been serving in the Army National Guard for almost 23 years myself. I have served alongside the people that we are helping every day. I know personally the sacrifices that the families make, and how it affects their children. Many of my fellow service members have deployed multiple times since 9/11, and each time those left behind wait and pray for a safe return. It is so very important to keep the families connected with their local communities, and to keep the kids active and healthy by keeping them in sports. It is a great way for them to retain some normalcy in their lives, and provides a great outlet for the stress that accompanies their parent(s) answering the call to duty.

• What is the program and/or service that you offer?

Currently we are focused on the game of ice hockey. It is by far the most expensive sport for kids to play, as most schools and associations do not provide the equipment, and the registration costs can be extremely expensive. For most service members, the cost of the sport is just simply too much. In areas where hockey is prevalent, like Minnesota, the average cost to put a child through a season of hockey is about $1000. Relatively cheap when compared to the east coast or other parts of the U.S. such as the southwest where fees can top $5,000 or $10,000 depending on the program. That’s where Defending The Blue Line comes in to help!

o What are you doing to help?

Defending The Blue Line (DTBL) has four main programs to help keep hockey alive for the children of our nation’s heroes. We provide free head to toe equipment for the kids to use. Valued at anywhere from $500-$2000 per child, this equipment is signed out to families to use free of charge until it is outgrown. DTBL also hosts free summer hockey camps. These camps usually cost on average about $500 to attend but are given out at no charge. Many of the camps are “military only” and provide a great chance for the youth to be around other kids who are facing many of the same challenges. The third way we help is by issuing $500 cash grants. We have been able to provide about $25,000 so far to help families with the local registration fees in their area. The final way DTBL helps involves our NHL player partners. Together with the help of players like Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks), and many others from around the league, we have been able to send over 700 military family members down to watch a pro hockey game for free, often times being able to meet the pro after the game. It is a great chance for the whole family to enjoy a night out, and we have had many service members utilize this program while they have been home on leave from deployment.

o How long have you been providing this program and/or service?

We founded the organization while I was on active duty in the spring of 2009. It has grown immensely over the past 2 years, and I recently returned to being a reserve component soldier so that I focus on growing this into a national program.

• Tell us about you or your organization.

We have the best job in the world! It has been incredibly rewarding to help these deserving families. What makes us unique is that we help families from all of the services, regardless if they are on active duty or in a reserve status. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, it doesn’t matter we are here to help. There is no other organization in the world that focuses solely on keeping military kids healthy and active in sports while their parents are serving. We are very thankful to have had great success so far, and have been able to do about $500,000 in giving now in about 20 states. Our long term plans include a national expansion for hockey, and then we intend to move on to other sports: Defending The Goal Line for football, Defending The Base Line for baseball, and so on. Eventually, we want to be the one stop shop to keep military kids in sports across the country!

• How have you touched the lives of military families? What has been your or your organization’s impact on the lives of military families? Please provide examples.

I recently had the privilege of bringing some gear to a disabled vet in northern Minnesota. He has a disabled child who plays sled hockey, as well as 2 other kids who play ice hockey. They were struggling to get down to our metro area office to pick up the gear they requested, so I decided to make a house call to help them out. It was just the greatest feeling in the world to help them out, especially considering the enormous challenges they are facing. The kids thought it was like Christmas and were truly grateful for the brand new gear. This entire family has sacrificed greatly so it was great to bring a smile to their faces.

Another great example of how we help came a year ago. We had an Air Force family whose father answered the call to duty in the Middle East. About the time he was leaving for his deployment, mom lost her job. It wasn’t looking like they were going to be able to afford hockey that year for their son TJ, who absolutely loved to play. We stepped in and helped with some benefits to keep him in the game, and even sent him a signed stick from a pro player with a note to keep his chin up while his dad was gone. It made a huge impact for the little kid, he was able to stay in the game he loved, and is now doing very well in his local program.