"Helping kids of all backgrounds not only excel in the classroom but learn valuable skills on and off the ice is something we're passionate about," Predators Vice President and Ford Ice Centers General Manager Danny Butler said. "We are thankful for the NHL and NHLPA's Industry Growth Fund for helping make this possible, along with our added and impactful partnership with Fifth Third Bank. It's great to see this program really take off in its second season and we are looking forward to making it even better in 2022-23."
Grades & Blades presented by Fifth Third Bank, now in its second season, was a program born out of the Predators organization's GUIDER initiative, whose goal is to utilize the resources, relationships and reach of the Preds to implement change via Nashville's staff, fans, the sport and community. Grades & Blades was one of the first on-ice components of GUIDER and rewards children for their good grades and attendance at school with a free, learn-to-skate opportunity every Saturday morning.
"We greatly value our partnership with the Nashville Predators and the work they are doing with GUIDER," Fifth Third Bank Regional President of Tennessee David Briggs said. "That's why we are very proud to be the presenting sponsor of Grades & Blades. We will be making donations to Grades & Blades throughout the season, a Fifth Third Better® donation of $167 for each assist play during a Preds game. Our support is intended to encourage children to get good grades, attend school regularly and have fun with an incentive of free skating lessons."
In this season's Grades & Blades program, 100 kids from the Nashville community, aged 8-14, will participate in five weeks of learn-to-skate classes from Scott Hamilton Skating Academy coaches through mid-December at Ford Ice Center Antioch. The program is open to, but not limited to, members of community neighborhoods challenged with financial inequality; the LGBTQI community; the gender-equality community; and the adaptive community and culminates with a graduation party and meet-and-greet with Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton.
Additionally, the Predators and Fifth Third Bank have introduced the Fifth Third Momentum Assist program. For every Predators assist that occurs in select home games during the 2021-22 regular season, Fifth Third Bank will donate $167 toward a lucky fan. Fans can enter to win by following Fifth Third Bank on Twitter at @FifthThird, using the hashtag #53MomentumAssist and tag a friend who has assisted you.
For more information,
please visit FordIceCenter.com
.
