Auction of hockey pucks to help Latvian kids

An online auction of hockey pucks and other sports memorabilia, the proceeds of which will benefit Latvian children, is scheduled from Nov. 20-30 on the eBay service, the Milwaukee, Wisc.-based Kids First Fund has announced.

The “All-Stars Hockey Puck Auction for Kids” will feature hockey pucks signed by more than 115 National Hockey League players and celebrities.

Among them are Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Pavel Bure, Mike Modano, Bill Guerin, Marty Turco, Ed Belfour, JS Giguere, Brian Leetch, Marian Gaborik, Nikolai Khabibulin, Jeremy Roenick, Jason Arnott, Teemu Selanne, “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe, Kids First Fund board member Arturs Irbe and honorary director Sergei Zholtok. Irbe and Zholtok are from Latvia.

The auction will be available at members.ebay.com/aboutme/kidsfirstfund/.

“Sergei Zholtok of the Minnesota Wild and Arturs Irbe have been tremendous assets in organizing our auction,” Jay Sorensen, Kids First Fund board president, said in a press release. “During 2003, Arturs and Sergei personally asked fellow NHL players to donate autographed hockey pucks and other items. Their efforts along with the generosity of players and team staff will raise thousands of dollars for our projects in Latvia.”

The Kids First Fund supports programs in Latvia to educate child welfare professionals such as police officers, judges, social workers and prosecutors on child abuse issues. Direct assistance is also given to centers providing care for abused children. The fund also anticipates it will develop Latvia’s first family shelter for abused children and their mothers during 2004.

Further information about the Kids First Fund is available from the charity’s Web site.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

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