| USA Hockey Foundation Introduces the Brianna Decker Endowment for Girls Hockey |
| Fund created by Olympic champion Brianna Decker will help grow and develop 8U and 10U girls hockey programs |
| COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today the establishment of the Brianna Decker Endowment for Girls Hockey, a fund created through the USA Hockey Foundation by 2018 Olympic gold medalist Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.).The fund will provide grants to 8U and 10U female hockey programs within the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association in its first year with the intent to grow nationwide in years to come. The first grant from the Brianna Decker Endowment Fund will be awarded to the Waukesha County Youth Hockey Association, the organization where Decker herself played growing up.”I’m so excited to be able to create a fund that will help give more girls access to the sport that has given me so much,” said Decker. “Growing up a Waukesha Warhawk, I’m especially proud to be able to give back to the organization that helped foster my love of the game. I can’t wait to see the impact it will have for the next generation.”Awards specific to this fund will be used exclusively to develop programs focused on increasing female youth participation in hockey by alleviating costs around ice and equipment, advertising and marketing, and overall development. To contribute to the fund, please visit USAHockeyFoundation.com/DonateNowand select Brianna Decker Endowment Fund for Girls Hockey in the dropdown menu.ABOUT DECKERDecker is a two-time U.S. Olympic medalist and six-time International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship gold medalist who has been a mainstay at forward for the U.S. Women’s National Team for the past decade. Most recently, Decker helped the U.S. Women’s National Team claim its fifth consecutive world title at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Espoo, Finland, and she was also a member of the gold medal-winning 2018 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team that claimed victory in thrilling shootout fashion at the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games.Decker spent the 2018-19 season playing for the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, which culminated in a victory over Montreal in the Clarkson Cup Final. She also previously helped the Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League win the 2016 Isobel Cup. A 2013 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Decker helped the Badgers to the Division I national championship in 2011 and earned the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top player in women’s college hockey in 2012.Decker was also recently named an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team for the second consecutive year after making her debut behind the bench last year at the 2018 Under-18 Series vs. Canada. She has previously served as a coach at various Central District camps and at USA Hockey Girls Under-18 Select Player Development Camps underscoring her commitment to growing the game and helping girls achieve their full potential in hockey. NOTES: The Brianna Decker Endowment Fund was created by the USA Hockey Foundation using the funds donated by the National Hockey League in Brianna Decker’s name following the 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition… The USA Hockey Foundation has been the charitable arm of USA Hockey, Inc., since 1989. The Foundation’s purpose is to enhance the mission of USA Hockey, Inc., by supporting USA Hockey teams, programs and initiatives, in addition to making grants to various member organizations that share its values which directly impact hockey in the United States. (nhl.com photo) |
