Kahun raises funds for children's hospice care in Germany

Dominik Kahun fondly recalls the joy of being young and receiving an autograph or a piece of equipment from his favorite athletes. Even at a young age, he dreamed of one day being able to share that feeling.

"I always told myself one day if I will be good with hockey and make it to a certain level, then I want to do something like that too," Kahun said. "For sure, I wanted to do something with kids."

Since the NHL season came to a halt in March, Kahun has used his newfound free time to make that dream a reality. The Buffalo Sabres forward has been raising funds for Ambulantes Kinderhospiz München (AKM), a children's hospice care clinic where he resides in Munich, Germany.

Kahun started the fundraiser with a personal donation of 6200 euros - 200 for each of the 31 points he tallied this past season. He set an initial fundraising goal of 15,000 euros with hopes of getting friends and teammates involved. After hitting that mark in less than two weeks, they moved the target to 20,000.

"We've got nine or 10 more days and we are at 19,000, so we should make it," Kahun said.

Instagram from @dkahun21: Kahun kämpft für Kinderherzen❤️Das Hospiz zählt gerade in diesem Ausnahmezustand auf freiwillige Unterstützung, um ihren lebensnotwendigen Dienst weiter aufrecht erhalten zu können. Meinen Spendenlink findet ihr in meiner Bio.👍Ich freue mich über jede noch so kleine Spende, und vielleicht schaffen wir es gemeinsam bis Ende April mein Spendenziel von 15.000€ zu knacken. Für jeden erzielten Punkt in dieser Saison, spende ich 200,- € und bis zur Pause der NHL sind es 31 Punkte. Somit liegt der Betrag gerade bei 6200 Euro .Mehr Updates zu meiner Spendenaktion folgen.Herz an Herz - lasst uns gemeinsam für die Kids kämpfen.💪❤️#icehockeycares #covid19# nächstenliebe #spendenaktion #dankevonherzen #kinderherzen #triplek #akm

Kahun identified AKM after reaching out to the German national team offices in search of a charitable partner. Specifically, he told them he wanted to work with an organization that helped sick children.

AKM offers support for families of seriously or terminally ill children and young adults.

"It's different for every kid, but make their last time special so they can have fun and see something or do something in their lives," Kahun said.

The commitment from Kahun goes beyond funds. AKM offered to make him an ambassador for the clinic, a position he readily accepted. The role will entail advocacy on social media and visits to the hospital, once the COVID-19 climate permits.

Kahun, 24, was acquired by the Sabres in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 24. He tallied four points (2+2) in six games with the team before the NHL paused its season. He has been in Germany since the league permitted players to return home in mid-March.