Tom Wilson took to social media on Wednesday morning to announce he would be making donations to the East Of The River Mutual Aid Fund as well as to the Fort Dupont Cannons Hockey Program.
Wilson was inspired after the murder of George Floyd due to police brutality and the resulting protests nationwide.
“There is no place for racism and hate in our world,” he wrote.
“Black Lives Matter,” Wilson said. “After taking some time to think about the best way to offer my support, I’ve decided that one way to start is to take action in my own community. I will be making a donation to the “East Of The River Mutual Aid Fund” as well as to the Fort Dupont Cannons Hockey Program. The Cannons, based in DC, are the oldest minority hockey program in the country. I am contributing to these funds today, but I am committing to learn, to listen, and to support going forward.”
— Tom Wilson (@tom_wilso) June 3, 2020
The East Of The River Mutual Aid Fund is a GoFundMe set up by Black Live Matters DC. The money is going towards the purchase of meals and hygiene bags as well as supporting members of Wards 7 and 8 who are housing and food insecure.
This Mutual Aid Network is a grassroots, community focused and lead ecosystem for folks in DC (District of Columbia) are engaged in or are looking to plug in. We are collecting and purchasing supplies to make hygiene bags, sack lunches and provide other material support that we have started distributing. We are working to support as many of our neighbors who are housing and food insecure as well as others that need support East of the River in Wards 7 & 8 as possible.
We also support other individuals, neighborhoods, groups also doing Mutual Aid work as we are all in this together and it’s up to us to care for each other. Donations go directly to purchasing supplies for hundreds of hygiene bags (toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, deodorant, lotion and soap), diapers and wipes, water, toilet paper, and feminine products. We are distributing these at school and community meal sites, making home deliveries, and distributing to our unhoused and housing insecure neighbors in the streets. Our hope is to fill the gaps where the government can’t, won’t or we don’t want them to. #WeKeepUsSafe
This work is critical as Wards 7 & 8 are majority Black and too many of us have bought into the tragic myth that Black people will not/do not get COVID-19 .
Meanwhile, the Fort Dupont Cannons are the oldest minority youth hockey program in North America and are based at Fort Dupont Ice Arena – the only full-size indoor ice arena in Washington, D.C. Many Capitals players have skated with the team or donated time to spruce up the arena in the past including Alex Ovechkin, Joel Ward, Devante Smith-Pelly, and Brooks Orpik. Neal Henderson, who co-founded the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club in 1978, was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in December 2019.
In September, Wilson, along with teammates Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby, combined with DC101’s Elliot In The Morning to surprise a DC elementary school, Hendley Elementary in DC’s Ward 8, with a new gym.
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
