ARLINGTON, Va. — It's not every day you get to hit the ice with professional hockey players, but for these lucky kids they got to hit the puck around with some on Monday afternoon.
Around 50 children got the opportunity to watch the Washington Capitals practice their craft, and then skate on the ice with Nic Dowd and Charlie Lindgren. Their teammates T.J. Oshie, Hendrix Lapierre, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Rasmus Sandin and Beck Malnestyn also attended the skate.
The event was made possible when Nic and Paige Dowd's "Dowd's Crowd" and Charlie and Mikkayla Lindgren's "Lindy's Lineup" player programs teamed up with nonprofit So Kids SOAR -- hosting an adaptive skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
So Kids SOAR provides free adaptive athletic, recreational and skill-building activities that empower youth with physical and development disabilities.
In 2018, Dowd's Crowd was created to provide the opportunity for a child with sensory issues to be able to attend and enjoy a Caps game. This year, Lindy's Lineup was created to provide opportunities for youth involved in adaptive sports and for children in special education classrooms.
This event marked Lindgren's program's first community skate. He reflected on the event by stating, "I met a lot of really sweet kids... It’s just one of those things where you come away such a better person.”
He also said he and his wife hopes to make a positive impact in the community and this is one small step toward that goal.
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