Senior defenseman Kaare Odegard (Red Deer, Alberta/Business finance) has been named one of five finalists for the 2013 BNY Mellon Humanitarian Award, as it was announced Friday evening.
Odegard is one of two Central Collegiate Hockey Association players tabbed as a finalist and also one of two repeat nominees for the prestigious award.
In the summer of 2011, Odegard co-founded the With All Your Heart hospital campaign to raise funds for the Harry & Sally Porter Heart Center at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. He worked with co-founder and Alaska Hockey's volunteer office manager Shawn Head on various fundraising activities throughout the 2011-12 season.
Their efforts rose close to $140,000 ($95,000 of which was contributed based on team achievements, individual donations and a silent auction). They have continued the effort this season with the hopes of generating more funds to benefit the hospital that cares for Fairbanks area heart patients. For more information, visit: http:// fairbankshospitalfoundation.com/with-all-your-heart/.
He also volunteers several hours a month (and countless more over the course of the season/year) alongside his teammates for various events activities and causes in the Fairbanks community. Those activities have included but are not limited to Hockey Skills Clinics, reading to and playing games with elementary aged kids with the “'Nooks For Books” initiative, the Alaska Senior Games, Special Olympics, Hockey Week In Fairbanks (reading to kids in local schools), Mush For Kids, Sports Night at the Denali Center and Skate With The Nanooks.
The fourth-year blueliner has three goals and two assists in 21 games this season and three goals and 11 assists in 104 career games for Alaska. He has also played a role in the Nanooks penalty killing unit, ranked ninth-best in NCAA Division I with an 88.9 efficiency (96-of-108).
This year's recipient will be introduced and honored in a ceremony on Friday, April 12 in Pittsburgh as part of the 2013 Men's D-I Frozen Four weekend.