York College ice hockey to host 3rd annual York Polar Bears Charity Game

YORK, Pa. (WHTM) – The York College Ice Hockey Team will host the York Polar Bears, a team comprised of developmentally delayed children, for the third annual charity game on Sunday.

“It’s just a really incredible event and it brings people together,” said Head Coach of the York College Ice Hockey team Rick Guinan.

York College players partner with the York Polar Bears throughout the season, acting as mentors to the children with the charity game serving as an end-of-year celebration. The York College players attend the Polar Bears practices regularly and host an honorary captain from the Polar Bears for every home game, building relationships with the kids.

“We’re always thinking about them, especially if we have a game and can’t make it to their practice,” said Evan Kays, a York College hockey player. “Everybody’s all down and upset, but those days that we’re able to actually make it and see them – just seeing their faces light up is honestly incredible.”

Kays has built a special bond with one of the Polar Bears, Nathan.

“If you ask Nathan who his favorite hockey team is he says York College,” Guinan said. “Then you ask him who his favorite player is and he says number 20, Evan. He looks at Evan like a big brother.”

Nathan and Kays stay connected off the ice too.

“He’s actually driven down to Maryland and has watched some of my men’s leagues games,” Kays said. “I’ve been out to dinner with him a few times, which is always awesome. Just being able to build these relationships, like it goes outside the rink.”

Nathan and his family supplied a box full of snack bags, personalized with handwritten messages, to the team before their journey to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for the playoffs this season.

“It was amazing,” Guinan said. “It was just the best. That connection working both ways, it’s just so beneficial.”

Nathan has been an honorary captain a couple of times. Honorary captains get to hang out in the locker room with the York College players before the game, take photos with them, and then lead the Polar Bear onto the ice to start the game.

The York College players and coach emphasized that locker room bonding is a special part of the experience for the Polar Bears.

“There’s a goalie on the Polar Bears (and he) came into the locker room prior to one of our games to meet our team and both of our goalies looked at each other and then looked at (him) and were jealous of (him) about how nice his pads were,” Guinan said.

The York College goalies complimented Adam, the Polar Bears goalie, on his “awesome” pads.

“They were like, ‘those pads are awesome!’ and the smile on (his) face, oh my God,” Gunian said. “I get chills just thinking about how that moment went down. He was connected right then and there just because of that one simple thing that we took the time to invest in somebody else.”

The locker room moments aren’t just special for the Polar Bears; they also give the York College team motivation before games.

“I don’t think that they really understand how much they kind of help us as much as we help them,” Kays said. “When they come to the locker room before games, if anybody’s nervous. . . (they) definitely ease our minds just being able to see them.”

Nolan Johnson, a senior on the York College team from Evansburg, Pennsylvania, says the charity game is filled with magical moments like that every year.

“The actual charity game itself, with the crowd being there and stuff. . . they get to kind of be in a spotlight for a day and it’s just really awesome to see them whenever they score a goal at the game celebrating,” said Johnson.

The York College team hopes the experience allows the York Polar Bears to feel included in the hockey community.

“I think being able to help kids that never had an equal opportunity as us to play any type of travel sport is definitely something special,” Kays said. “(It’s) giving them a chance to go out there and play in a competitive environment with everybody else.”

The team wants the Polar Bears to know they are cared for.

“They always have a friend or someone that will be there for them,” Johnson said. “I hope that they know that we care about them and their well-being and just hope that they have the most fun and the best experience that we can give them.”

The money raised from this charity game is split 50-50 between York College and the York Polar Bears to help fund both programs and purchase necessary hockey equipment.

This year’s charity game will be played on Sunday, March 24 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the York Ice Arena.

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