Indy Fuel and Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis announce new partnership

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indy Fuel, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, announced a new community initiative with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis Monday morning at a live media event at the Wheeler-Dowe Club.

As part of the new agreement, Fuel Owner and Chairman Jim Hallett presented the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis with a new 60-passenger bus, which will be used to enrich the lives of the 7,000 children who frequent the 10 locations around Indianapolis each year. In addition, the Fuel announced a new ticket donation program which will be in effect for the team's 2018-19 season. Any season ticket plan holder may choose to donate any unused tickets to BGCI, which will utilize the new bus to transport the children to and from Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

“The Indy Fuel are thrilled to be involved with an exceptional organization like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. For decades their dedicated team has done incredible work for children in Indianapolis, and we are proud to help make it easier to assist local kids with the donation of the new bus,” Hallett said. “We strongly believe attending a Fuel game should be an experience everyone in our city can enjoy, so we are extremely excited to foster new hockey fans through this partnership.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis strive to provide a safe haven for young people across the city. With locations set in some of the most challenged neighborhoods in Indianapolis, BGCI helps fill the need for a safe place to learn, grow and play, while empowering youth to excel in school and their communities through a variety of innovative programming.

“For 125 years, the Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis has been helping the underserved youth of Indianapolis pursue a life filled with hope and opportunity,” said​ Maggie A. Lewis, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis. “We are grateful to the Indy Fuel for helping us provide quality programming to those in our city who need it most."

The new initiative is part of a growing relationship between the Fuel and the Boys & Girls Clubs. The team is currently hosting the “Fundamental Fridays” program at the Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville, where Fuel players and coaches teach basic hockey skills each Friday afternoon. In conjunction with the team's “Hockey For Indy” program, the partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs is an example of the Fuel's renewed commitment to the Central Indiana community.

“Bringing the Fuel to Indianapolis five years ago was never a business decision for me, it was about deepening my roots in Indiana and giving back to a community that has been so good to myself and my family,” Hallett said. “We're proud to be part of the fabric of what makes Central Indiana such a wonderful place to live, and we're dedicated to doing our part to help strengthen our community for future generations.”

The Fuel kick off their fifth anniversary season during Opening Weekend on October 12-13! Lock up your seat for every second of the action at Indiana Farmers Coliseum with a Fuel Ticket Plan - grab yours by heading to IndyFuelHockey.com or by calling the Fuel front office at 317-925-FUEL. Don't forget to follow the Fuel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (IndyFuel) for news, updates, contests and much more throughout the offseason.

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