Custom Hockey Helmet

 Pro athletes and celebrities of have a unique position in life to give back and spread kindness. Their fame can open doors to opportunity and simultaneously encourage the publicity that comes with it. In a world where bad news is so easily spread, its refreshing when good news is flowing and even more so when someone is using their position in life as a platform to do so. Enter Spencer Knight, the Florida Panthers goalie, who felt compelled to give back one summer while in the off season. In searching for what that looked like specifically he connected with the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and came up with a unique idea. What if I had the kids help me design a new hockey helmet to wear in the upcoming season?

Spencer admiring one of the kids designs

Soon he was in a hospital corridor brainstorming ideas with a dozen or so eager kids to come up with some cool designs. Many thought sticking with a Florida theme seemed relevant contributing drawings of the state, the sunshine, and even palm trees to get the full effect. Others wanted to make sure his team logo, jersey number, and hockey equipment was well represented like the sticks and gloves. Spencer even invited them to include things that they were passionate about and enjoyed.

It would be one thing to go spend time with kids and make their day as a celebrity. It would be another thing to spend that time working on an art project, complimenting and encouraging them. But Spencer had even bigger plans to actually wear the fruits of their labor in the coming season so the kids could see the end product on television during his games. When asked to summarize the experience, Knight stated, "Obviously, there are lots of kids who are over there [in the hospital] and it means a lot to them. And it obviously means a lot to me too. I am really fortunate to be put in the position and have the resources to do something like this. And hopefully we can do a lot of good through this."

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