Gaudreau Family 5K raises $500K for playground

PHILADELPHIA -- The archetypal 5K held successful the representation of John and Matthew Gaudreau helped rise much than $500,000, capable to interruption crushed aboriginal this twelvemonth connected an accessible playground astatine the peculiar acquisition schoolhouse wherever the hockey players' parent works.

Thousands attended the Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Day successful May astatine Washington Lake Park successful confederate New Jersey, a spot John and Matthew went hundreds of times arsenic kids and astir the country from Hollydell Ice Arena, wherever they started playing hockey. The 5K drew much than 1,100 participants successful the walk, on with much than 1,100 virtually successful the U.S., Canada and astir the world.

From wealth raised successful the walk, on with contributions made successful representation of John and Matt, the fiscal extremity was met for the planned accessible playground astatine Archbishop Damiano School, wherever Jane Gaudreau and her girl Kristen work. It was a origin John and Matthew had begun to champion successful grant of their grandma Marie, who spent 44 years astatine the schoolhouse and died successful 2023.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for precocious August/early September, with Oct. 4 tentatively acceptable for the commencement of a assemblage build.

After a little scare of a tornado ticker the nighttime before, the 5K went disconnected without a hitch.

"Because of the rain, we had truthful galore radical we thought mightiness not amusement up," Jane Gaudreau said. "But I felt similar it was specified a large turnout. So galore radical asked america if we're going to bash it again adjacent year. It conscionable specified an outpouring of emotion and care, truthful overmuch for the boys successful our family."

To reply the question, yes: The adjacent Gaudreau Family 5K Walk is tentatively scheduled for May 16, 2026.

The Gaudreau brothers -- John played 10 afloat seasons successful the NHL with Calgary and Columbus -- were killed past August connected the eve of their sister's wedding erstwhile they were deed by a suspected drunken operator portion riding bicycles successful their location authorities of New Jersey.

The playground inaugural was launched by main Michele McCloskey successful October 2020. Raising the indispensable funds implicit the past 5 years had been a dilatory build. So galore friends from the hockey satellite and others present inspired by the brothers and the origin person since rallied astir the effort.

"We heard truthful overmuch from everyone however overmuch they appreciated everything (the brothers) did for the community, and truthful they turned astir and helped america out," Gaudreau said. "We heard a batch of bully stories, a batch of radical were conscionable truthful generous, conscionable wanting to beryllium determination for our household and immoderate they could bash to support John and Matty's bequest alive, which is what we wanted from the playground and to spell guardant from here."

The Gaudreaus and the unit astatine Archbishop Damiano threw themselves into fundraising for a modern playground that allows for everything from basal wheelchair accessibility to ramps and transportation platforms for the students. Students tacked their privation database for the playground to the walls wrong the school. The 5K lawsuit besides included an online memorabilia auction that stretched beyond hockey, with each proceeds donated toward the playground effort and its archetypal $600,000 goal.

The caller country for the playground has been staked retired and the instrumentality has been ordered, yet determination is inactive enactment ahead. The Gaudreaus and the schoolhouse needed everything from 175 tons of crushed factual to formation soil to different operation materials to implicit the project.

"It's conscionable readying retired our assemblage build, which we'll request assistance on," Gaudreau said.

Archbishop Damiano School was founded successful 1968 for children with Down syndrome and present provides services for 125 students with peculiar needs from ages 3 to 21. Jane Gaudreau's member attended the schoolhouse and their parent worked there. Jane was hired successful 1984 and is inactive a concern associate. Kristen, the older daughter, has taught astatine the schoolhouse for astir 2 decades. Katie, the younger daughter, who got joined successful July, utilized to assistance with the kids erstwhile she could, and the 2 Gaudreau boys volunteered astatine the schoolhouse erstwhile they weren't playing hockey.