During hockey’s pandemic era, it’s been hard for hockey players to show their appreciation to fans, but recently, Jakub Vrana found a way.
Longtime Capitals fan Zachary turned 13-years-old on March 13. Vrana, who wears number 13, found out about Zach’s birthday and sent him an amazing gift.
I'll never be able to top this birthday gift. Thank you @VranaJakub #Lucky13 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/oRZ7hObpFd
— Ann-Marie Ward (@martina09) March 12, 2021
Vrana’s surprise was a used stick which includes the inscription Happy Birthday, Zach. Lucky 13.
Zach’s mother, Ann-Marie, wrote on Twitter that “I’ll never be able to top this birthday gift” (but as someone who knows Ann-Marie, I think her love and support of Zach far surpasses this everyday FTR).
“It was his idea to give the stick,” Ann-Marie said to me in an interview. “He really seems like an amazing guy. And the team staff also are so kind.”
Zach has cerebral palsy, but that hasn’t held him back from going to Capitals games and playing his favorite sport.
“He loves to play floor hockey with his brother at home, but he much prefers to play hockey on ice!” Ann-Marie said. “We’re all huge hockey and Caps fans and it’s Zachary’s dream to one day play on an actual hockey team. He repeatedly says he’d like to play at Capital One arena with everyone cheering for him! He attended his first Caps game in April 2018 and we all got really caught up in the playoffs as the Caps went on to win the Stanley Cup. That was a very exciting time in our house.”
Annually, Zach participates in the Capitals’ Dreams for Kids skate. He’s been doing so since he’s been seven (2013) and mom has documented on her blog Caps Family.
Zach was so moved by Jakub’s kind gift that he wrote him a personal thank you note with his communication device.
One of the sentences reads, “Jakub Vrana is my favorite Capitals hockey player.”
