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on the fly USA Hockey people & Programs Participating members of the Southern New Hampshire Cavaliers youth hockey association, along with association president Rindress MacDonald (left) presented their donation to Toys for Tots and Marine Gunnery Sgt Vince Donahue (right). Youth Goalies Make A Save For Sandy Victims New Jersey Devils Youth Hockey Club Peewee goaltender Lucas Podvey remembers sitting in his house in Upper Montclair, N.J., as Hurricane Sandy unleashed its wrath on the Northeast at the end of October. "It was kind of scary," he said. "It was like 10 o'clock on Monday night and a transformer fell and the wires collided and there was a fire on our street." According to The Associated Press, early reports estimated the damage from the storm at $62 billion to New Jersey and the rest of the eastern seaboard. In addition, 125 people lost their lives. Fortunately for Lucas and his family their home was spared, but the loss of power led them to stay with relatives for a week. Lucas was sitting at his grandmother's kitchen table with his mother Marcia when an idea popped into his head. The 11-year-old wanted to raise money for those affected by the hurricane and thought that a save-a-thon, which later became Saves for Sandy, would be a fun way to help those most affected. Marcia sent her son's idea to his goalie coach Tom Fogu, who was Thanks to the thoughtful work of Lucas Podvey, almost $24,000 was raised to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. thrilled with the idea and decided to reach out to other players. "He was like 'thank you for the idea' and everything," Lucas said. "He then started telling everyone about it. It was kind of a big, happy moment." Saves for Sandy took place until Dec. 2 with the initial goal of raising $4,000 for the American Red Cross. However, is was such a big hit that 37 goalies from all over the Atlantic Youth Hockey League, New Jersey Youth Hockey League and the Mid Atlantic Women's Hockey Association helped raise close to $24,000 as of Dec. 18. According to Fogu, Saves for Sandy is expected to raise $25,000 once the final donations come through. To this day Lucas is stunned at how his small idea eventually blossomed into such a huge success to help his fellow Garden Staters. "It's exciting," he said. "I was not expecting that." Icy Exchange Program Celebrates A Milestone The Upland Country Day School in Kennett Square, Pa., is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its Friendship Forged on Ice hockey program with Turku, Finland. The exchange program, which started in 1977, is the first middle school level international exchange program in the country, and is the only one built around hockey. The goal is to use hockey as a vehicle for youth from both countries to experience another culture and create friendships despite a difference in language and a 4,200 mile distance. In the 35 years since the program started, 80 Finnish hockey players have spent a year living with host families in Kennett Square, and each spring 8th and 9th grade hockey teams from Upland travel to Finland and Germany to play against international teams. To mark the 35th anniversary, a delegation of approximately 100 Finns will be traveling to Kennett Square for a series of hockey games against Upland and other area teams. 08 February. 2013 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM N.H. Association Offers Holiday Assist 'Twas the season to shoot and score for a great cause. The Southern New Hampshire Cavaliers youth hockey association did exactly that when it participated in its annual Toys for Tots fund-raiser on Dec. 10. Fund raising began on Thanksgiving weekend and ran through Dec. 9. Each member of the organization sought donations from friends and family members, who could contribute a flat rate or make a donation based on a shootout score. At each practice the athletes competed in a shoot style drill to determine how much money they would raise from their sponsors. Players and their families gathered at a local Toys R Us to shop with their donations, and then presented the toys to Marine Gunnery Sgt. Vince Donahue. Through their hard work and dedication to this fundraising effort, the players in the organization raised $4,500 to purchase toys that were then distributed locally in New Hampshire. NTDP Knows For Whom The Bell Tolls P layers who represent USA Hockey at the National Team Development Program are a competitive bunch. Whether it's battling for a loose puck during a scrimmage or playing a card game on one of their many long bus rides, these players give it their all. The same holds true when it came to competing to see who could raise the most money during a holiday bell ringing contest to support the Salvation Army's holiday fund drive. Over the past three years, NTDP players have logged more than 80 hours in support of the cause. This year, both the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams rang bells during four-hour shifts at several locations around Ann Arbor, Mich., including the Briarwood Mall. When the bell stop ringing, Under-18 teammates Gage Ausmus, Will Butcher, J.T. Compher and Keaton Thompson brought in the most money of the $1,020.62 raised by the group. Photos courtesy of the Southern N.H. Cavaliers; Marcia Podvey (3); Corinne Hyzny; Jake Wesolek (2)