Photos courtesy of the Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of becoming the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer has not only solidified his place in hockey history, but it has also created powerful impact off the ice.
Along the path to Ovechkin surpassing Wayne Gretzky's long-standing record with his 895th NHL career goal scored April 5, Ovechkin has raised awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research through The GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer®, in partnership with Hockey Fights Cancer, the V Foundation and Washington Capitals.
“We were as excited about Alex joining with the V Foundation as an ambassador to support pediatric cancer research as we have been about any of our great celebrity and athlete ambassadors,” said Shane Jacobson, chief executive officer of the V Foundation.
“All of these people are here for the same reason – they want to defeat the real opponent, cancer, which in this case, is pediatric cancer.”
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late great Jim Valvano, a legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach, ESPN commentator and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame who passed away in 1993 at the age of 47. To date, the V Foundation has funded nearly $400 million in cancer research grants across North America.
THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer® is not just game-changing, it’s a groundbreaking partnership in its own right.
“This record is in that extraordinary category, the most special of records,” continued Jacobson. “To my knowledge, this is among the first, if not the first time, that something so special, and this was Alex’s decision supported by the team and others, was turned not just into just a historic chase but also into a charitable impact that will help save peoples’ lives.”
The campaign, which was announced on March 5, will see Ovechkin donate to pediatric cancer research for every goal he scores for the remainder of his career. He has pledged to donate an amount equal to his goal total to the V Foundation, with donations being matched by Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Fans have been encouraged to join in by donating $8 or any amount they are able to through v.org/GR8Chase.
One hundred percent of all direct donations are awarded to cancer research and programs.
The NHLPA, on behalf of the players, has also contributed to the campaign with a donation of $8,950. Thursday morning, the NHL announced a donation of $23,270 – the amount signifying Ovechkin’s 895 goals times the 26 years Hockey Fights Cancer has been in existence.
“So many players have stepped up and said, ‘We love this guy’ and they want to give personally to this – even if they haven’t played with Alex,” said Jacobson. “That says a lot about them and what makes hockey such a great team sport.”
To date, THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer has raised $150,000 and counting. The donations raised will fund a pediatric cancer research grant through the V Foundation’s Hockey Fights Cancer Fund in Ovechkin’s honour, fittingly called the Alex Ovechkin GR8 Chase Pediatric Cancer Research Grant.
Awareness and impact – from NHL players and the entire hockey community – in the V Foundation has taken off since Ovechkin closed in on the record
“Both from an awareness standpoint, the attention, appropriately, on Alex, was growing game after game, goal after goal,” noted Jacobson. “Our partners, the NHLPA and NHL, stepped in with content. Everyone has their own cancer story and people have wanted to give this, which is tremendous. We have had so many people lean to make a gift because they want to help us cure cancer.”
“Hockey is the ultimate team sport,” said Jacobson. “It isn’t just the ultimate team sport in what happens on the ice, but also in what happens off the ice. We have come to celebrate the impact of the players and the NHLPA for their commitment to Hockey Fights Cancer.”
Founded in 1998 by the NHLPA and NHL, Hockey Fights Cancer was the first national cause program pioneered by a major sports league. To date, Hockey Fights Cancer has raised more than $36 million.
Last season, in the first season of collaboration between Hockey Fights Cancer and the V Foundation, Hockey Fights Cancer raised over $4 million, with $2.9 million going to groundbreaking cancer research through the V Foundation.
“It is a total team effort,” Jacobson said of the V Foundation’s partnerships with the NHLPA and NHL through Hockey Fights Cancer. “Hockey is an outstanding team sport. When Alex broke the record, he spoke about the importance of the team and teamwork. We say the fight against cancer is also the ultimate team sport.”
Every dollar raised is significant, said Jacobson.
Despite the impact of childhood cancer, research into its treatment and prevention still receives a disproportionately small share of overall cancer research funding.
“In the early 1970s, if a family heard from their doctor, ‘Your child has cancer,’ those children – if you look across all cancers – had a 58 percent chance of survivorship. Today, if a family hears those dreaded words, five-year survivorship is now 85 percent, which can extend to ten, 20 years and even lifetimes for the kids who are facing the disease.
“The point in all of that is that there has always been a need to support pediatric cancer research – and we are making such impactful progress. Just in the United States alone, there are 15,000 families per year that hear those words, ‘Your child has cancer.’
“Less than five percent of the National Cancer Institute’s budget that goes to cancer research is actually restricted to pediatric cancer research. We think the need is there because we see 15 percent of the children diagnosed every year who are not going to win their battle – and that is not fair. The youngest of our population deserves a better chance. We have made great progress, but with efforts like this with Alex, the Capitals, the NHLPA and the NHL, we’re bringing a lot more awareness and attention and the dollars needed for game-changing research.”
The 39-year-old Ovechkin, whose trophy case includes three consecutive Ted Lindsay Awards, nine Maurice “Rocket” Richard honours and a Stanley Cup, has had a long-standing support of cancer-based initiatives and causes over his lengthy NHL career.
He has also made meaningful connections with numerous kids and families affected by cancer, including 15-year-old Alex Luey, who passed away in 2019.
“It’s always important to spend time with the kids,” said Ovechkin during an annual Hockey Fights Cancer skate at the Capitals practice facility in November. “The parents and the kids, they enjoy it and to put a big smile on their face is the most important thing.”
Jacobson isn’t surprised by any of it.
“Even before this [record] chase fired up the hearts and minds of fans everywhere across the sports world, Alex was quite accessible to fans, especially to kids,” said Jacobson. “His engagement with kids is well known throughout the sports world. His work with Hockey Fights Cancer and V Foundation – it is not new for him to want to make a difference.”
Just as it is for all NHL players.
“When we finally and ultimately celebrate having delivered all the cures necessary to cancer, the story is going to include the fact the players came together and were a big piece of this – not just for donating but also for inspiring fans everywhere to be a part of this.”
