Gems Players Lend a Hand


Dayton Gems Give Back To Local Family By Volunteering With Habitat For Humanity
“Gems players help ready new house being built in Trotwood”

Dayton, Ohio –The Dayton Gems professional hockey team spent Tuesday afternoon by trading in their hockey sticks for paint brushes to help give a local family a new home. For the second straight year, the Gems have teamed up with the Dayton area Habitat For Humanity to provide volunteer man hours towards building a brand new home in a suburban neighborhood in nearby Trotwood.

Armed with paint buckets, rollers and brushes ten Gems players spent three hours rolling up their sleeves and gave a boost to the all-volunteer project as it neared the final stages. Tim Hartung and Jon Ornelas, both returning for their third season in Dayton, were joined by hard working teammates John Kennedy, Charlie Townsend, James Sanford, Kyle Bochek, Chad Langlais, Nick Fanto, Matt Larke and goaltender Kristofer Westblom.

The spacious five bedroom house will sport a fresh interior coat of paint throughout, thanks to the Gems players. The eventual homeowner, Paul Woodard, was on hand to check out the hockey players-turned painters handiwork; all while humbly expressing his appreciation for all the help.

Woodard says he should be moving his family into the house sometime around the middle of November, and the Gems will be providing Woodard with autographed memorabilia to adorn his newly painted walls, as well as tickets to a Gems game at nearby Hara Arena, giving his eight children a chance to see their first professional hockey game.

This is the second year the Gems have given back to the local community through Habitat For Humanity, with last year’s squad helping construct the outside of a new home in Dayton. Gems Director of Community Relations JT Szabo helped continue the relationship between the Gems and Habitat For Humanity, noting “being able to give back to our local communities in such a constructive and impacting way is just what our community relations initiative is all about. We would like to thank Mr. Woodard for letting us into his soon-to-be home today, and look forward to being able to provide his children with the experience of seeing pro hockey here in Dayton.”

Next in the community for the Gems, team mascot Blade will be appearing at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery this Saturday from 4pm to 8pm handing out free kids tickets and Gems information as part of the museum’s annual family trick or treat event.



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