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Devils, United Airlines Team Up to Give Back to Newark’s St. Philip’s Academy

According to a press release put out by the Devils today, the club will team up with Prudential Center and United Airlines to form the “Give 82” initiative.

Give 82 will encourage employees of the Devils and Prudential Center “to commit 82 hours of service to make a difference throughout the Garden State communities.”

Today, the organizations teamed up with United Airlines (who are the presenting sponsor) to surprise students at the St. Philip’s Academy in Newark with a “new, state-of-the-art outdoor hockey rink.” The press release states that this “further exemplifies the NHL’s commitment of bringing hockey to underserved communities along with giving the children a safe place to play hockey in the city of Newark.”

United Airlines’ logo will appear on the bluelines of the rink.

Miguel Brito, the CEO of Philip’s Academy said: “As everyone knows, outdoor space is scarce in Newark so we are truly thankful to the New Jersey Devils, Prudential Center, and United Airlines for the renovation of our outdoor play area. This gift will impact not only the students of Philip’s Academy, but the entire community that surrounds it. The Devils and Prudential Center ahve been outstanding supporters of Philip’s Academy over the past 18 months and this recent act of generosity is “icing” on the cake!”

Prudential Center and its employees have been assisting the Newark community for some time. The arena’s workers have been involved with “feeding the homeless at St. John’s Soup Kitchen or Goodwill Rescue Mission, visiting local Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA’s and schools or packaging nonperishable goods during the holidays for underserved individuals and families.”

The Give 82 program and the assistance from United Airlines will only strengthen the bonds between the team, the arena and the community. Jeff Scott, Devils Vice President of Community Investments and Grassroots said “(o)ur partnership with United Airlines allows us to further our charitable efforst while growing the game of hockey throughout our underserved communities. We are looking forward to our future projects together, creating lasting memories and making a difference in the lives of many.”

For United Airlines’ part, Jill Kaplan, President, New York/New Jersey, had this to say: “Being a proud partner of Prudential Center and the New Jersey Devils is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for United Airlines as these organizations align to our commitment of supporting our local community and our core values as a company. It is our mission to connect people and unite the world, and this partnership enacts that motto into action.”

United is also a “partner of other leading cultural institutions” in Newark, including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark Museum and Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District.

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Kyle Palmieri to Form the “Kyle Palmieri Foundation”

The Devils and Kyle Palmieri yesterday announced that the right wing and his fiancee, Ashlee Casper, will be launching the Kyle Palmieri Foundation.

According to the official press release, “(t)he mission of the Kyle Palmieri Foundation is to give back to those who put their lives on the line to preserve our freedoms as Americans.”

Kyle had previously started “Squad21” which allowed active military as well as veterans and their families to attend Devils games. Squad21 eventually evolved into this new Foundation, although according to the press release, it will live on as a part of the Foundation.

This new venture will “raise funds for various programs that benefit the military community.”

The Montvale, New Jersey-native had the following to say regarding his new Foundation: “There are endless challenges facing our nation’s military service members and veterans. We hope to help ease some of these challenges by providing support through The Kyle Palmieri Foundation and through our partnerships with NMFA, SWAN, and Vets for Pets. Each of these organizations provides invaluable supports and services, and the Foundation looks to help expand their incredible work. We’re proud to offer our help as a way to say thank you to the brave men and women who are serving and have served our country.”

The Foundation’s efforts began this week, according to the press release, as Palmieri was participating in the Morgan Hoffman Celebrity Pro-Am Charity Golf Outing yesterday and will take part in the Northern Trust Celebrity Pro-Am tomorrow.

The three official military nonprofits that are supported by The Kyle Palmieri Foundation are:

– Squad21

– Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) – which advocates for the individual and collective needs of military women. “They are committed to seeing that all service women receive the opportunities, protections, benefits and respect they deserve.” SWAN helps the nearly 2.5 million women active duty and veteran members of the US military.

– National Military Family Association (NMFA) – which strengthens and protects “the families of the men and women currently serving, retired, wounded or fallen.” It helps families members of service people from all branches of the military get information on benefits “and offers programs that improve their lives.”

– Pets for Vets – which “was created to improve the lives of both Veterans and animals by bringing them together in a thoughtful, caring way. They provide veterans with pets while also giving loving homes to the animals.

Palmieri, of course, has deep roots when it comes to the military. His sister, Taylor and his brother-in-law Stephen currently serve in the National Guard and the US Army, making this a very personal venture for Kyle and the Palmieri family.