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10 // AUGUST 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM O F F T HE D R AW COMMUNITY B ay Area hockey fans may know him as the play-by-play commentator for the San Jose Sharks, many oth- ers know Randy Hahn as the voice behind the 25-yard pool dash fea- turing with more than 250 rubber duckies. With the NHL season put on pause, Hahn transitioned to help a local cause near to his heart. Pivotal, a Silicon Valley nonprofit that focuses on meeting the educational and career needs of foster children, wouldn't let coronavirus or stay-at-home mandates prevent them from helping the people who need them most. Q u ick ly t hey t r a n sit ione d t o supp or t- ing their Pivota l High School a nd College S c h o l a r s p r o g r a m a n d d e c i d e d t o h o s t their first annual Ducky Derby fundraiser, a n event t hat had duck s "s w i m" across a 25-yard pool to raise money for the organi- zation's scholarship fund and educational coaching programs. There are more than 440,000 kids in foster care in the United States. Only half of them graduate from high school and just 3 percent graduate from college. Pivotal, with the help of its donor network, has helped its scholars graduate from college at 10 times the rate of other foster youth. And with the participation of hundreds of ducks in the Derby, they were able to raise more than $25,000 for their mission. 'Lucky Duck Leo,' the big winner, took home four tickets to a future Sharks game. But as Hahn put it: "This was more than just a duck race! Win or lose, the Ducky Derby is about helping Silicon Valley 's foster youth get the support they need to get ahead in this world." P Voice Of The Sharks Quacking Up Over Rubber Duck Derby For the fourth time in seven years and sixth time overall, the Sioux Falls Stampede was named the United States Hockey League's Organization of the Year. The award was determined by a vote of league member clubs. The Stampede led the league in attendance for the eighth-straight seasons with almost 140,000 fans at its 24 home games prior to the season cancellation on March 18 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The team's 13th annual wiener dog race pro- motion on Feb. 15 drew a sellout crowd of 10,678 fans to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. The Stampede continue to excel on and off the ice. After a rough start to the season, the team went on a 19-9-3 run and qualified for the 2020 Clark Cup Playoffs before the season was cut short. As part of the organization's commitment to stay involved in the commu- nity, players are required to spend time volunteering around the Sioux Empire each month. The team also donated more than $200,000 to various philanthropic organizations, including the American Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish South Dakota, South Dakota Special Olympics, Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, The Salvation Army and Warriors Never Give Up. "I am proud of our entire organization," said team president Jim Olander. "A lot of long hours and hard work go into putting together a suc- cessful season. "This award would not be possible without the great support we have from the community and our fans who come out each night, win or lose, our season ticket holders and corporate partners." Hard-Charging Stampede Earn USHL Honor JUNIORS The Rubber Ducky Derby helped raise more than $25,000 to support foster kids and their educational efforts around the United States. PHOTOS BY Rubber Duckies Derby; Sioux Falls Stampede; Getty Images