IOWA WILD PRESENTED WITH COMMUNITY RELATIONS EXCELLENCE AWARD
Jul 8, 2026SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The American Hockey League held its 2026 Awards Gala during the Board of Governors’ Annual Meeting at Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Wednesday evening, and presented the Iowa Wild with the Community Relations Excellence (Western Conference) Award.
The Iowa Wild raised $263,684 for local organizations, schools, and nonprofits via community initiatives and charitable programs during the 2025-26 season.
Cal Petersen’s Goalies Give Back initiative headlined the team’s player initiatives and raised $12,859 in support of the Des Moines Youth Hockey Association, with funds supporting the purchase of new equipment for youth goaltenders and sponsoring on-ice clinics.
Several cornerstone programs raised significant funds for charity, including:
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Jersey Auctions - $143,801 through six auctions of game-worn jerseys
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Tame The Hunger - $14,908 toward meals for local children
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Chuck-A-Puck - $6,300 benefiting sponsoring organizations
Jersey auction beneficiaries included The ALS Association ($32,654), John Stoddard Cancer Center ($25,120), and Mid-Iowa Council, Scouting America ($22,068).
The team collected 4,064 stuffed animals at the annual Teddy Bear Toss on Dec. 6 and donated 50,000 meals to the Des Moines Public School SUCCESS Program through Tame The Hunger.
The Wild continued to grow the game of hockey across the state of Iowa, reaching communities and schools. Wild About Reading reached 11,730 participants, while the team’s floor hockey program included 6,385 participants. A new initiative, Hockey In The Wild, visited over 200 children, while 100 children took the ice as members of Crash Course.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by Kwik Star. For more information on Iowa Wild hockey, please visit www.iowawild.com. Season tickets for 2026-27 are on sale now. Fans can purchase season tickets for the upcoming season at https://www.iowawild.com/wild-365.
Visit http://www.iowawild.com/pressbox for the latest news and information from the team including press releases, game notes, multimedia content, and daily statistics.
Iowa Wild home games are played at Casey’s Center. Iowa Wild games are now streaming on AHLTV on FloHockey. Fans can visit FloHockey.tv now to create a free account, purchase subscriptions for the 2026-27 season, and watch all Iowa Wild games online.