Garnet Ace Bailey marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with more than 50 NHL employees packing meals at the Intrepid Museum in New York. The group walked together from the New York office before the volunteer shift, and David Klatt said he heard employees sharing stories on the way.
The New York event helped pack more than 250,000 meals, part of a broader effort expected to reach 17 million meals this week through 50,000 people representing more than 800 organizations across the United States. NHL employees also had volunteer opportunities in Toronto and Montreal.
David Klatt at Intrepid Museum
Klatt, the NHL senior director of culture, inclusion and belonging, said, "We think of hockey as the ultimate team sport" and added, "Each year, the team of NHL employees who volunteer together at this event, and in support of the NHL's hunger relief efforts in Canada as well, highlight how much it means to us as NHL employees to give back." He also said, "We know can do more when we do it together."
The NHL joined MLB, NBA, NFL, MLS and Professional Women’s Hockey League employees in the meal-packing effort, along with workers from Delta Air Lines, Citi and JPMorgan Chase. The effort is tied to 9/11 Day, which David Paine and Jay Winuk founded in 2002 after Glenn, Winuk's brother, lost his life helping others during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
9/11 Day since 2016
Paine said, "We decided for the 15-year anniversary, in 2016 that we stage a project, our own big project for the very first time" and, "And we staged a meal pack in New York City. It was incredibly successful. And I think Jay and I looked at each other and we said, 'Hey, we might be onto something here.'" The meal-packing effort moved to the Intrepid in 2017, expanded the following year to cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix, and is now held in more than 50 cities around the United States.
The annual volunteer push is built around remembrance and service at the same time: it marks Sept. 11 while sending food to local food banks. For readers taking part in future volunteer shifts, the practical takeaway is simple — the NHL’s contribution in New York was one part of a much larger network, and the same format is being repeated in other cities this week.
