“Blues for Kids felt like Navigate STL Schools was doing something that other organizations weren’t…providing tangible resources for children and families in the Saint Louis area from the get go.”

Eva O’Shea

Today’s guests are Eva O’Shea, Senior Manager of Community Management, and Devon Furash, Senior Coordinator of Community Development for Blues for Kids of the St. Louis Blues. They sat down with Staci to discuss Navigate STL Schools receiving their Captain’s Grant and the kid’s programs that Blues for Kids and the Blues offer.

• Eva and Devon’s K-12 education
  • Eva grew up in the Chicagoland area going to public school.
  • Devon spent one year in Shanghai, China in the international schools.

• Big news for Navigate STL Schools
  • Navigate STL Schools are one of the recipients for the Blues for Kids Captains award!
    
• What is Blues for Kids?
  • Blues for Kids is the charitable trust of Saint Louis Blues, with the foundational arm of the professional organization.
  • They have four pillars of giving that we primarily focus on. Within the Saint Louis community: education, cancer care awareness, health and wellness and youth hockey
  • In the past, Blues for Kids have given grants anywhere between $1,000 – $5,000.
  • They touch about 80 different organizations on an annual basis with that.
  • The Captains Grant is fairly new.
  • The Captain’s Grant was really developed in an effort to be more intentional and impactful with our giving.
  • “When we give a captains grant, it means that we really believe in the mission of that organization. We want to lift that organization up…in a mutually beneficial relationship where we can have a really big impact”
    
• Why was Navigate STL schools selected?
  • In the past 2-3 years, education has become important for Blues for Kids.
  • Blues for Kids felt like Navigate STL Schools was doing something that other organizations weren’t.
  • Navigate is providing tangible resources for children and families in STL from the get go, trying to set the kids up for success in their education.
  • Seeing that the knowledge and the passion and the dedication that the Navigate staff had was really inspirational for us. 
  • Navigate STL Schools is excited to have Blues for Kids supporting the regional kindergarten access guide.
    
• Tell us about the Blues
  • The St. Louis Blues have been around since 1967
  • Named after a song called Saint Lois Blues, so at the pregame shows, they try to reinforce the idea of rhythm and blues that’s embedded in the city of Saint Louis.
  • Blues for Kids was started for a player, number 14 Doug Wickenheiser, who was facing a cancer diagnosis. So the organization was created as a way to fund his treatment and support his family.
  • After he passed away, the fund continued to provide cancer care and awareness initiatives in the Saint Louis area.
  • Blues for Kids grew out of that, adding pillars to the cancer care awareness pillar.
    
• How has education become a big part of the Blues for Kids mission?
  • The Blues already had some existing education initiatives like Grown, Future Goals, STEM programs, Blues Bookworm program, etc.
    
• How does hockey actively help kids in their academic life?
  • The North City Blues program busses kids from KIPP schools in North City to the Enterprise Center and they teach them how to skate first, then learn the game.
  • But it’s not just that, they’re learning competence, teamwork and communication.
  • Blues for Kids is trying to eliminate the barriers to sports so they can learn these important skills and apply them in the classroom.
  • They try to help the kids play in a hockey association after the program is complete so they can continue the sport.
  • There was an additional partnership with the Blues Museum that taught the kids how to play bucket drums and even build guitars from scratch.
    
• What are some of the other initiatives outside of Blues for Kids that the team is doing for the community?
  • They do hospital visits where players take the time out of their day to go visit these hospitals. 
  • Brayden Schenn, the Blues Captain, has Schenn’s Friends, which invites groups of 12 to his personal suite to donate to the community. The program brings kids from Saint Louis Children’s Hospital, Friends of Kids with Cancer, etc.
  • Colton Parayko’s Project 55 partners with Saint Louis Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House. A family of four get to come enjoy a game and goody bag on behalf of Colton and have a postgame meet.
  • Krug’s Krew, with Torey Krug, invites big brothers, big sisters of Eastern Missouri to games.
    
• How do kids and parents get involved in the program?
  • Visit nhl.com/blues to view resources on the community tab.
  • You can nominate a Community All-Star under Schenn’s Friends. 
  • Check out the youth hockey roadmap.