Every season, Bobcat Hockey makes it a point to be an active part of the Bismarck community, and the 2024-25 season is no different. In and around the city, you can always find the Bobcats doing their part to make Bismarck a great place for everyone.
Brave the Shave
2024-25 will mark the 15th straight year that Bobcat Hockey will team up with Brave the Shave to raise money to fight childhood cancer. Over the years, more than 150 Bobcat players, coaches and staff members have gotten their heads shaved to raise money for the growing local charity.
A long-time staple of the team’s Brave the Shave Night includes special-edition jerseys that are auctioned off following the game. The team has raised more than $100,000 from the jerseys to benefit Brave The Shave.
The Brave The Shave organization makes a big different to those families that are fighting cancer. They help pay medical bills and living expenses for those families who spend all their time and effort helping their child fight this terrible disease.
During the 2023-24 season, the Bobcats and Brave the Shave took time during this special night to remember those children who have passed away from cancer. The names of those who have passed away were painter on the ice as a sign of love and remembrance of their fight.
BE KIND Tour
Bobcat owner Thom Brigl says the BE KIND Tour is the most impactful program the Bobcats have brought to the community. Starting in the 2019-20 season, the Bobcat players have been going into area elementary schools (grades 3-5) spreading a message of kindness. This anti-bullying program is sponsored by American Resurfacing Inc. and have their full support. Owner Scott Olson says they are proud to partner with the Bobcats in this effort to make a difference in the area youth and our future leaders. “If we can make a difference and cause one student in every classroom to be that person who stands up to bullies we are winning” says Olson.
The first year (2019-20) of the program the players boarded the Bobcat bus and went to elementary schools within a 80 miles radius of Bismarck-Mandan. After COVID, the program started again with the players going to all of the elementary schools in Bismarck-Mandan. The players go in and read a book to the students and help them make a kindness chain that hangs in their classrooms as a constant reminder to be a better person.
The program is continuing to evolve with plans to take the program into middle schools to continue to spread a message of kindness.
Bismarck Hockey
The Bobcats also have a strong relationship with Bismarck’s local youth hockey program, which also plays out of the VFW Sports Center. The Bobcats not only share their time by teaching future Bobcat stars on the ice, but are active in assisting their fundraisers, helping with the Bismarck Hockey Boosters’ Road Race and Big Gun Raffle over the years.
Salvation Army
It isn’t just the young people of Bismarck that Bobcat Hockey gives back to, either, as the ‘Cats also assist the Salvation Army during their busiest time of year—the Christmas season—to help raise funds for all of their charitable causes.
All around Bismarck, Bobcat players can be found in November and December outside of local businesses ringing bells next to those familiar red kettles to bring in money for the Salvation Army to help out those less fortunate during the holiday season.
Mandan Christmas In The Park
The Bobcat players help the City of Mandan with their annual Christmas light display in Dykshorn Park. The players come over and use their handyman skills to help put the displays together and in place for the community to enjoy. This event brings tens of thousands of people to the community from all of the state of North Dakota and surrounding states. It’s a great opportunity for the players to get more involved in the community and give back to those who support them each weekend at the VFW SprtsCenter.
Around Bismarck
The Bobcats are also proud to take part in other official and unofficial events to help out in and around Bismarck.
Bobcat Hockey is always willing to lend a hand when needed, too, as the whole team pitched in during last winter to help shovel snow off the roof of St. Anne’s School on North 13th Street when a blizzard during the hardy winter of 2008-09 threatened to collapse the roof of the school.
During the 2009-10 season, Bobcat players assisted in the renovation of St. Joseph’s Church in Mandan by helping the church remove pews and prepare for the big facelift that St. Joseph’s received.
Before the start of the 2011-12 season, the Bobcats took part in the Ruth Meier’s House Good Neighbors Food Drive to help out those in need of food after such a difficult summer in the Missouri River Basin.
The team has also walked in the “Walk MS” event at Sertoma Park, taking time out during Training Camp to help raise funds and awareness for multiple sclerosis research.