LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Golden Knights employee used his Stanley Cup celebration to raise thousands of dollars for a Wisconsin nonprofit that helps child abuse victims.
Wil Nichol, the team’s director of player development, asked guests at his Day with the Cup party to donate to Safe Harbor, a Madison-based organization his late father helped establish. The nonprofit provides a child-friendly environment for abuse victims to speak with professionals instead of being interviewed at police stations.
“When we won the Cup, I asked Jon Cooper, someone I coached against a long time ago, I asked any advice and he said do something good with it and I think that’s part of the tradition and that’s what we did and we raised thousands and thousands of dollars that day which was much more than I thought,” Nichol said.
Father’s legacy drives charitable work
Nichol’s father, a former judge who died six years ago at age 83, founded Safe Harbor more than 25 years ago. As a juvenile judge in Madison, he was troubled by the intimidating environment children faced when reporting abuse at police stations.
“He got together with some people and they started this non-profit called Safe Harbor where you fast forward and today over 25 years later, we have a building, we have a service dog, police in a separate room to assist a child to be able to speak with a professional and everybody else watches on video; it’s just much more kid friendly,” Nichol said.
The organization has grown beyond its original mission. Nichol joined the board a year before his father’s death and focuses on fundraising efforts while traveling with the Golden Knights.
Community service tradition continues
Nichol, an original Golden Knights employee hired in August 2016 before the team had a name or logo, has established community service as part of the organization’s culture. During the team’s first development camp, prospects volunteered with Catholic Charities to serve food to people in need.
“For me it’s one of our best parts of the week and allows us to talk to the kids about that the Golden Knights organization means to the community, what the community means to the players and talk about perspective, how lucky we are to be part of hockey, something we love, but also to be grateful for the things that we have and not everybody is as fortunate,” Nichol said.
The tradition continues as part of the team’s commitment to community involvement. Nichol said the experience teaches players about giving back and provides perspective on their fortunate positions.
Living the Golden Knights definition
Team owner Bill Foley defined what it means to be a Golden Knight during a fall 2016 meeting: “Always advance, never give up, never give in, you protect those who can’t protect themselves.”
“Those aren’t just words. We live by them, whether it’s me in player development, the players themselves, people in media, marketing, whatever, we try to live up to that every day,” Nichol said.
The fundraising efforts extended beyond the Cup celebration. A local jewelry store, TQ Diamonds, held a separate fundraiser when Nichol received his championship ring, allowing people to take pictures with the ring in exchange for donations to Safe Harbor.
For more information about Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center, visit their website.
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