Rangers honoured for community involvement work during 23-24 season

The Kitchener Rangers have received the Community Involvement Award for the 2023-24 season.

The team was celebrated Tuesday night in Sarnia during the Ontario Hockey League’s annual Summer Business Meetings.

Through the Rangers Community Fund, Rangers Reach raised a single-season record of $1.3 million through 50/50 sales, jersey raffles and donations from the community. The funds have been reinvested back into the community, providing grants to a variety of local charities and organizations.

“It is an immense honour for the Kitchener Rangers and Rangers Reach to be recognized as the Ontario Hockey League’s Community Involvement Award winners,” said Rangers Reach Executive Director Craig Campbell. “Our mission from day one has been to give back to and support the community that has supported the Kitchener Rangers since 1963.”

Campbell recognized this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the volunteers that have supported the organization.

“Our growing impact in Waterloo Region would not be possible without our passionate group of volunteers. They are the lifeblood of Rangers Reach, face to face with fans at every Rangers home game to raise funds for our community. Alongside the remarkable support we receive from our presenting sponsor, Arnold Hearing Centres and our partnership with BUMP, we have achieved impressive growth this season, all to benefit our community. By supporting a variety of organizations with key focuses on youth, education, and sport, we are motivated as a pair of organizations to ensure our community thrives both on and off the ice,” he added.

The Kitchener Rangers and Rangers Reach donated $100,000 to the KidsAbility foundation to help fund a new therapy room at KidsAbility’s new site in Kitchener. The sale of Antonino Pugliese’s ‘PugLife’ t-shirt fundraiser raised over $13,000 for the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario.

Local students were also awarded over $10,000 in scholarships.

“We are so proud to be recognized by the OHL today for winning the Community Involvement Award,” said Kitchener Rangers Chief Operating Officer Joe Birch. “Our fans are our community. For 60-plus years they have continued to support our hockey club and any opportunity we have to support them through a season is so very important to us. We have amazing community partners such as the Sexual Assault Support Center Waterloo Region, Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario and Clarky’s Kids, the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and so many more. This award is a celebration of those partnerships in collaboration with Rangers Reach.”

The Rangers with Rangers Reach also took part in many events throughout the 2023-24 season which included 21 community events. Those included school visits, local hockey practices, hospital visits and two separate blood drives with the Canadian Blood Services with the involvement of players from the Kitchener Rangers.