The Washington Capitals announced today that captain Alex Ovechkin will be hosting a holiday skating session for 50 kids from the Fort Dupont Cannons program. Ovechkin will give gifts during the skate including autographed hockey sticks. Ovechkin’s last skating session with the Fort Dupont kids was in March 2015. He gave them all Beats By Dre headphones.

Last month, Ovechkin hosted his third annual skating session for the kids at the American Special Hockey Association programs. He also has raised over $36,000 already for the Make-A-Wish Foundation through his the Ovechkin Wish special with Papa John’s.

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ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will host a holiday skating session for 50 children from the Fort Dupont Cannons program at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. During the skate Ovechkin will distribute gifts courtesy of Bauer, as well as autographed sticks.

The Cannons are based out of Fort Dupont Ice Arena, the only full-size indoor ice arena in Washington, D.C., and are the oldest minority youth hockey program in North America. The FDICP is the oldest ice hockey program that is a member of the National Hockey League’s Hockey is for Everyone Initiative. The program’s goal is to teach young people discipline, self-esteem and a sense of purpose and to offer an incentive to excel academically. Ovechkin previously hosted a skating session with children from Fort Dupont in March 2015.

The skate marks one of many community initiatives supported by Ovechkin during the 2016-17 season. In October, Ovechkin hosted more than 60 children and adolescents from American Special Hockey Association programs for a skating session for the third-consecutive season. Ovechkin also continues his Ovi’s Crazy 8s initiative, launched in 2006 as a program through which he purchases and donates eight Capitals season tickets to Most Valuable Kids and ASHA, allowing fans who normally wouldn’t have access to tickets the opportunity to attend games. Ovechkin also supports organizations that grant wishes of sick children. In 2015, Washingtonian Magazine named Ovechkin as a ‘Washingtonian of the Year’ for his efforts in the community, including his relationship with ASHA. He also was a finalist for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership award, presented to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice.

Headline image: Patrick McDermott