Preds Foundation Raises $19,180; 5,875 Pounds of Food; 982 Units of Blood

The Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub enlisted a multifaceted approach to donations during the organization and team's return to the ice in July and August to the tune of record results.

The Foundation partnered with the American Red Cross to host blood drives throughout the state of Tennessee, collected food donations for the Bellevue Community Food Bank, used the playoff tradition of the SmashCar presented by Crushr to benefit firefighters and the 365 Fund Pediatric Cancer Fund Presented by Twice Daily, collected pet supply items and raised monetary funds during online auctions of Preds memorabilia.

The variety of donation options paid off in unprecedented ways, with the food drive setting a monetary gifts record, the blood drive potentially saving close to 3,000 lives and overall money raised totaling nearly $20,000.

The food drive for Bellevue Community Food Bank ran from July 13 to 18 and was primarily hosted at one of the Predators' community rinks, Ford Ice Center Bellevue. The drive raised $2,760 and gathered 5,875 pounds of food.

"We can call this one a big success, and the money given to the Food Bank has never reached that total before," said Sheri Weiner, former Metro Councilwoman for District 22. "This money will go toward buying produce and meat, which is sorely needed. We can't thank the Preds Foundation enough."

The expansive and combined blood drive ran from Aug. 4 to Aug. 7 in 20 cities in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama and featured 29 blood drives. More than 1,000 donors showed up to the drives and gave 982 units of blood, a total which exceeded the expected donations by nearly 100 units. The Red Cross estimates 2,946 lives will be saved due to the donations.

For several years, the SmashCar has represented one of Preds fans' favorite playoff traditions. An old car is painted with the colors and logo of the Preds' series opponent and then hammered down by fans, celebrities and firefighters. Donations to firefighters totaled $4,000, while fans raised another $420, which will benefit the 365 Fund Pediatric Cancer Fund Presented by Twice Daily. Also during the Stanley Cup Qualifier series between the Predators and Arizona Coyotes, the Foundation continued their online auctions for one-of-a-kind Preds memorabilia and raised $12,000.

Finally, the Preds Foundation didn't leave all the fun just for the humans, as team dog Smash requested his two-legged friends to donate a variety of pet supply items. The 800 items collected will be given to local animal shelters after the donations resulted in bags of dog food, collars, medicine and toys being assembled at Bridgestone Arena.

For more information about the Preds Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub, to donate or to see their grants at work, click here.