A game-changer for hockey team fundraising

Your players love to skate, so why not give them a chance to hit the ice for a night—without ... having to chase a puck? Partner with your local ice rink to host a skate night, then sell tickets to friends and family. To make the event more appealing, you could hire a DJ or come up with a theme. Once you have an arena full of people, you can raise even more money by running a concession stand filled with items purchased through your RaiseRight program, scoring you even more earnings.

With fans at your games, every intermission is a fundraising opportunity. For example, you ... can host a puck toss where fans buy pucks, put their names on them, and throw them into the rink during intermission. The person who gets closest to the center wins. Another option is a “shoot the puck” contest, which has fans pay for a chance to score from center ice and win a small prize. Games like these are affordable, easy to organize, and fun for the whole crowd.

Kids tend to outgrow their hockey equipment long before it wears out. Well, you can turn ... all that perfectly good equipment into money for your team. To run a successful gear drive, ask all your players to gather their old gear. Then, pick a time and place, put up flyers advertising the sale, and have a few volunteers run the event, similar to a yard or garage sale. Everyone wins with a gear sale—your team raises money, your community enjoys discounted hockey gear, and your garage stays clean.

Here’s a fan-favorite hockey team fundraiser: host a skills clinic. A clinic is the perfect place ... for hockey enthusiasts of any age to improve their game. Even first-timers can participate to learn more about hockey. If you have professional players in your area, see if they’ll donate their time to a good cause and teach the camp. Otherwise, your coach or players can run the clinic. Either way, by charging a reasonable registration fee, you could raise hundreds for your team.