Seriously-ill Kids and Families at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Benefit from NHL Star’s Generosity
October 17, 2023
I really value my partnership with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and am very happy they are part of the Florida Panthers family.
With the season-opening road trip having just concluded and the Florida Panthers home opener quickly approaching, NHL star Aleksander “Sasha” Barkov still found time to spend with some of his biggest fans.
Patients at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood were thrilled to interact with one of the league’s best players in the hospital’s Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Child Life Zone. Barkov took photos, signed autographs, and played games with children hospitalized with serious medical conditions. The visit was the latest in a series of trips Barkov has made to the pediatric facility since 2019, and came with a $97,600 check presentation to the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The Florida Panthers captain recently concluded the fourth year of the #BarkovScores4JoeD philanthropy campaign, which includes a $1,600 donation for each goal he scores and $800 for each assisted on. The nearly $100,000 donation was the result of the 28 goals and 66 assists tallied by Barkov during the 2022-23 regular season and playoffs.
"I really value my partnership with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and am very happy they are part of the Florida Panthers family,” said Barkov. “It has been a great four years and I’m very proud to witness the expansion of the hospital, and the ability this amazing team of professionals now have to provide even more complex care to the South Florida community and beyond."
To date, Barkov’s contributions to programs and services that benefit kids and families at the children’s hospital total $313,600. He also provides a suite for use by those connected to the hospital at every home game and announced during the hospital visit that the campaign would continue through the 2023-24 season.
Updates on the alliance between the hockey star and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital will be chronicled throughout the season on the children’s hospital’s social media sites on Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also search #BarkovScores4JoeD.
Barkov has won the NHL’s Frank J. Selke Trophy, signifying the game’s best defensive forward, and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL player that combines sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and a high standard of playing ability. He was the second overall pick in the 2013 draft and has played his entire NHL career for the Panthers.