Professional athletes are often much more for their fans than just the feats they can accomplish. They can be leaders in society and great spokespersons for different good causes. Hockey players aren't an exception and Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche captain, is a great example. The 26-year-old supports a noble cause with his implication in Friends, an organization dedicated to providing schools and sports clubs with the proper tools and resources to combat bullying, discrimination and inequality among children and young people.
The charity work of the captain hasn't gone unnoticed, as he pointed out with a heartwarming post on Twitter this week. A young fan called Maddie sent Landeskog a touching letter praising him as a player and an anti-bullying ambassador.
'' Dear Gabe,
When I found out that you were an ambassador for anti-bullying I was really excited because you are one of my favorite players.
Anti-bullying and mental health awareness are two very important things to me. It is amazing when players like you stand up for these types of things.
Kids should all be treated the same and be kind to each other. They should also be able to talk about their feelings without being afraid.
My charity books against bullying raise money for organizations like Friends Colorado. We sell books for one dollar and I give the money to charities that support mental awareness, suicide prevention, and anti-bullying.
My goal is to give each NHL team our player 100$ who support those important causes.
So far I have given it to the Edmonton Oilers and Erik Karlsson.
Thank you once again for dedicating your time to stop bullying. Here is 100$ to give to Friends Colorado.
Sincerly, Madde Kegley. I hope your injury heals soon. »
Maddie Kegley started Books Against Bullying last year in an effort to raise money to benefit the Shine-A-Light Foundation. You can watch her being interviewed on CBS Minnesota right here.
You can watch Landeskog explain his implication with Friends in the video right here:
As for his team the Colorado Avalanche, they are still in the race for the playoffs but they seem to be further and further away from a spot, at the 10th rank in the Western Conference, with 76 points.
