O'Ree Community Hero Award winners bond at Stanley Cup Final

TAMPA -- Noel Acton and other recipients of the Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award say they're amazed at how much of a life-changing experience winning the award is.

Acton, founder of the Tender Bridge Foundation, and the O'Ree Award recipients from each of the past three seasons were guests of the NHL at Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Wednesday.
They watched the Avalanche defeat the Lightning 3-2 in overtime to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series and met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and "NBA on TNT" analyst Charles Barkley, the former NBA forward.
Tuesday, they were wearing replicas of O'Ree's trademark fedora and rubbing elbows with Auston Matthews, Moritz Seider, Cale Makar, Igor Shesterkin and others at the 2022 NHL Awards.
"This has been cool," said Acton, the 2022 winner, whose foundation also runs the Baltimore Banners and Junior Banners hockey teams that provides a safe space for the city's at-risk youth. "It's kind of a really cool feeling of internally realizing how much I've accomplished as opposed to just being appreciated."

Acton was joined by Kevin Hodgson, the executive director of HEROS (Hockey Education Reaching Out Society), who won the O'Ree Award in 2021; Dampy Brar, the 2020 recipient, who helped start Apna Hockey to support South Asian and other ethnic players; and Rico Phillips, the 2019 winner, who founded the Flint Inner-City Youth Program.
Attending the game and the awards show was particularly special for Hodgson and Brar. They were unable to be honored at a public event due to coronavirus restrictions.
"Watching the awards, being there physically to see everything was surreal. The hour went by too quickly," Brar said. "I'm not much of a 'Go to a hockey game-type guy.' I can get tickets anytime with friends … but to be able to watch a Stanley Cup game, the Final to boot, is great. It's every kid's dream to be part of, and I'm that big kid now that gets to see that."
Acton, Brar, Hodgson and Phillips said they've bonded over winning the O'Ree Award, which is named after the first Black player in NHL history and recognizes an individual who, like O'Ree, has used hockey to make a positive impact on his or her community, culture or society.
"This award, we get to hold it, but the volunteers and our players earned it for us," said Hodgson, whose program empowers at-risk youth. "They put so much work into showing the hockey world that they belong, that they matter. The four guys helping the kids that we work with is going to turn into thousands of kids helping thousands of more kids. And that, to me, is the exciting part."

The past O'Ree Award winners told Acton that his life is about to get busier because of the elevated platform that he'll have that will benefit the Tender Bridge Foundation, a nonprofit that has supported more than 500 boys and girls in East Baltimore for 20 years, and the Banners hockey teams.
"I appreciate the bigger view that I have now with more recognition of being able to do things," Acton said. "I have a couple of projects I'm really interested in, duplicating the Tender Bridge approach. Hockey is the hook, but the relationship with mentors and coaches is what keeps the kids involved and makes a difference in their lives."
Jay'Quan Washington, a 19-year-old Baltimore Banners player, said he's already seen the impact of Acton winning the award. The Banners experienced tragedy when two of its players were shot and killed on a city street in September 2021.
"For us, it was a lot of darkness," Washington said. "Like they say, at the end of every tunnel, there's some light. And I feel right now with this award, we're starting to see it a little bit. So hopefully, the success that we're starting to gain moves us in a positive direction."