Ventec proudly supports ‘Skate for the 22 Foundation’

We are proud to support the Skate for the 22 Eagles vs. Boston Bruins Alumni hockey game on December 17th at the Edge Sports Center in Bedford, Massachusetts. The game is organized by the ‘Skate For The 22 Foundation’, a nationally registered nonprofit organization which was set up in 2015 with hockey as its driver to help raise public awareness of veteran suicide and raise money to provide financial and social support for afflicted families. The Skate For The 22 Foundation provides hockey at no cost to veterans, to get them back into a supportive team environment.

It is estimated that roughly 22 veterans take their lives each day. The “Skate For The 22” Foundation aims to raise public awareness in an effort to end this crisis and provide a non-government support program to veterans. With the Skate For The 22 Eagles playing the Boston Bruins Alumni near Ventec’s USA head-office in Massachusetts in December, Ventec jumped at the opportunity to help raise awareness of the cause by supporting the game.

Skate for the 22 Eagles vs Boston Bruins Alumni Game
December 17 @ 5:30 pm
The Edge Sports Center
191 Hartwell Road
Bedford, MA 01730 United States
For tickets ($10 for adults, $5 for children) contact Shannon O’Neil at shannononeil@comcast.net
For donations, please visit www.skateforthe22.org/

"I am both shocked and saddened by the statistics coming from military veteran agencies and the Department of Veterans Affairs who have estimated that roughly 20-22 veterans take their lives each day," says Jack Pattie, President Ventec International (USA). "Each suicide is one too many, and without the tireless work of foundations like ‘Skate For The 22 Foundation’ to raise awareness, many more lives would be lost. They are an amazing foundation, and we feel proud and privileged to be supporting them."

About Skate For The 22 Foundation
The roots of “Skate For The 22 Foundation” lay within the New England Eagles Veteran Hockey Club, an ice hockey team of approximately 70 U.S. Armed Forces veterans. Following his 15 years of active duty with the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force and after losing three friends and fellow soldiers to suicide, the team’s founder Robert “Bobby” Colliton reintegrated back into civilian life with the all too common emotions of frustration, heartbreak, and a need for change. Bobby was able to find sanctuary in the ice hockey rink. It was in the locker rooms, on the ice, and in the parking lot where nothing else mattered and he was able to forget about all the other burdens he was facing. However, there was something missing. Bobby’s vision was for a hockey team consisting of US Armed Forces veterans, skating at no cost to them. Here veterans would find the support and camaraderie that Bobby found when returning from active duty. Bobby, with the help of other veterans started the New England Eagles Veterans Hockey Club. Following the success of the New England Eagles, the mission was expanded to creating a foundation to help raise public awareness of veteran suicide, raise money to provide financial and social support for afflicted families, and raise money to support the New England Eagles continued growth. It was within this context that Bobby created “Skate For The 22” to use hockey to reduce the number of Veteran suicides. Through their partnership with the New England Eagles Veterans Hockey Club the Foundation sponsors charity games, tournaments, and local events to help raise needed funds, awareness, and to provide suicide prevention assistance. For further information, visit www.skateforthe22.org/