Thank you from the Einstein Family

We’ve tried a few times to figure out how to properly thank everyone for this weekend, and we’re still not sure we can.

What the Ruffenachs and the Cape May Kraken did for Colton and our family was incredible. We know an event like this doesn’t just happen. There were weeks of planning, organizing teams, building schedules, registrations, coordinating ice and everything else that went on behind the scenes. You took an idea of doing something for Colton and turned it into a weekend that brought together hundreds of people from the hockey community. We’re so grateful for the time you gave and everything you did to make it happen.

We also want to thank Hollydell Ice Arena for hosting everyone, and Pennsauken Skate Zone for helping coordinate and promote the tournament. So many people and organizations were willing to help however they could, and we don’t take any of that for granted.

Seeing the hockey community show up for our son was probably what meant the most to us. Colton’s Pennsauken Pilots teammates were there, Flyers Elite players came out in force, and kids from teams all across the tri-state area showed up to play for a six-year-old that many of them had never even met.

Our Flyers Elite and Pennsauken Pilots families did so much off the ice as well. They collected donations and put together more than 30 baskets for the raffle. Thank you to the South Jersey Monarchs for putting together a duck raffle. Between that and the basket raffle, they raised $10,000. Families, businesses and people we’ve never met donated because they wanted to help Colton. Every time we turned around, someone else had found a way to contribute. We want to give a special shout out and thank you to Jenn Huber who spearheaded the basket raffle. We know how chaotic that was and we are forever grateful. 

Dunlop’s Bar & Grill had the ColtonStrong Hard Seltzer and ColtonStrong Sour from Mechanical Brewery on tap and donated 100% of the proceeds back to Colton. Katie Gaudreau also took the time to come out, spend some time with Colton and present him with a check from the Gaudreau Family Foundation. We’re extremely thankful to Katie and the Gaudreau family for their support.

For Jill and me, though, some of the things that meant the most didn’t have anything to do with how much money was raised.

Colton got to spend the weekend around hockey again. He got to stand on the bench and “coach” his big brother Jake. They gave him a stick and he ended up with two assists and a goal from the bench. The boys went wild from both teams and celly’d like it was game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals!  

And for the first time since all of this started, Colton laced up his skates and got back on the ice. He took a lap by himself while hundreds of people around the rink cheered him on. We didn’t know when we’d see him on skates again, so getting to watch that was something Jill and I will never forget.

Thank you to the Kraken for giving Colton his own #80 jersey and presenting our family with a $15,000 check. Between that, the $10,000 basket raffle and everything else people did throughout the weekend, the generosity toward our family is hard to comprehend.

The last few months have been extremely difficult for our family. This weekend, Colton got to be around hockey, hang out with other kids, watch his brother play and get back on the ice himself.

For a little while, things just felt normal. We needed that more than we probably realized.

To the Ruffenachs and Cape May Kraken, Flyers Elite, Pennsauken Pilots, South Jersey Monarchs, Hollydell Ice Arena, Pennsauken Skate Zone, Dunlop’s Bar & Grill, Mechanical Brewery, the Gaudreau Family Foundation, and every player, coach, parent, volunteer, business, friend and family member who had a part in this, thank you.

And to everyone who simply showed up for Colton, thank you. Whether you played, donated, bought a raffle ticket, volunteered, cheered for him or just came over to say hello, you made our son feel pretty special.

We’ve always known the hockey community was close, but we’ve never experienced anything like this.

The community we have around us has made this difficult time just a little bit easier to manage. We’re so thankful for all of you, and we can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for Colton and our family.

#ColtonStrong