Bulldogs give back –– on and off the ice

Members of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Bulldogs ice hockey team recently spent a weekend giving back to their community, helping others on and off the ice.

The varsity hockey team welcomes athletes from Calhoun, Kennedy and Mepham high schools. At the beginning of the month, the Bellmore-Merrick teens engaged in back-to-back service projects, assisting two local charities.

On Jan. 31, the team skated in an exhibition sled hockey game against the Long Island Rough Riders at Bellmore’s Newbridge Arena to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. The Rough Riders are sponsored by Long Island Sled Hockey, Inc., an organization that supports physical and mentally challenged athletes, while encouraging sportsmanship and camaraderie through sled hockey.

The Wounded Warrior Project organization supports returning soldiers injured during battle in the war on terror. The group enlists the public’s help in providing for the needs of injured service members.

The Wounded Warrior Project wasn’t the only charity that the Bulldogs assisted that weekend. On Feb. 1, players hopped off the ice and headed to the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island in New Hyde Park, which offers comfort and shelter to families coping children’s serious illnesses. The Bulldogs prepared brunch for the families.

Christopher Patten and Lee Mattes, both Mepham High School teachers, lead the Bulldogs.