Blue Jackets Foundation Pediatric Cancer Family Fund

The Blue Jackets Foundation Pediatric Cancer Family Fund was established in May 2010 in honor of all the heroes who have been touched or will be touched by the Foundation’s Hats For Heroes program.

The Blue Jackets Foundation Pediatric Cancer Family Fund, a restricted fund within the Hats For Heroes program, will allow parents whose families were positively impacted by the Hats For Heroes program to combine resources and collectively raise money to support other families currently battling this disease. This united effort will eliminate the need for individual families to set up their own foundations which require specific non-profit status. The Blue Jackets players will be actively involved in supporting the programs benefiting from this fund annually.

A five-person advisory committee will be established to administer the fund, however, parents that contribute will be encouraged to advocate on behalf of personal causes or grants that further the overall mission to support families. This committee will be responsible for both working with Hats For Heroes families to generate funds and voting collectively to disperse the funds in conjunction with the Foundation’s annual grant allocation at the end of each season.

Founding donations for this fund will come from proceeds raised from Tyler Wright’s Ironman Race to Fight Pediatric Cancer and a seed gift from the Ryan Salmons Foundation.

The Ryan Salmons Foundation was established in May 2009 to support families in their battle with pediatric cancer. Ryan was a member of the Hilliard Wildcats hockey club when he was diagnosed with pediatric cancer in 2008. As a symbolic gesture to the young man who inspired so many with his unwavering courage and compassion, the Blue Jackets signed Ryan to a one-day contract at the end of the 2009 season. Ryan lived to witness the team’s first-ever playoff run, but passed away only a few weeks later. It was Ryan’s personal wish to leave a legacy gift that will serve all children affected with this dreaded disease.

Guidelines for fund distribution are yet to be announced. Non-profit organizations interested in applying for funding should visit www.BlueJacketsFoundation.org for more information in September 2010.