Players step off the ice and into the classroom to encourage students to excel
Davenport, IA - The entire Mallards' team is volunteering at five schools in the Rock Island/Milan and Davenport School districts to encourage grade-level students to play a more active role in their education. There are 18 volunteers in total, including the front office staff.
Each school has one team of volunteers who started visiting them in December and will continue to volunteer once a month for one hour. The schools they are visiting are Hayes, Monroe and Eisenhower in Davenport and Frances Willard and the Rock Island Center for Math & Science in Rock Island.
The volunteers spend one-on-one time with a group of students and discuss the importance of education and reading.
"We're grateful to the Mallards organization and the players for undertaking this meaningful volunteer opportunity," said United Way president Scott Crane. "Approximately 75% of the team's players have gone to college, so they are excellent role models for local students. We look forward to coordinating more volunteer opportunities in the community like this one that are making real impact in the Quad Cities."
"We are very thankful we have this chance to work together with the United Way to provide a positive message for the students at each of these schools through our players' experiences and example," said Mallards president Bob McNamara. "Work ethic, goal-setting and responsibility are some of the key elements that have enabled our players to succeed both in becoming professional hockey players and during their days in the classroom and they look forward to sharing what they've learned about the value of those attributes with students."
You're invited to see the volunteer opportunity in action.
When: Tuesday, January 21 at 1:30pm
Locations:
Frances Willard - 2503 9th St., Rock Island, IL
Rock Island Center for Math & Science - 2101-6th Ave., Rock Island, IL
Eisenhower Elementary School - 2827 Jersey Ridge Rd, Davenport, IA
About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards in the midst of their seventeenth season and their fourth in the Central Hockey League. One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10. The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record. In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched. The iWireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club. For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com. Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards.
