A year ago, Nick Davalos walked into a doctor’s office wearing his Kraken hat. He was seeing a breast cancer specialist and clearly thinking all sorts of thoughts about his diagnosis, both, of course, the health threat of cancer plus the inevitable questions he would be fielding (less than one percent of breast cancer patients are men).

“I walked into my doctor’s office, and she said, ‘Oh, you like sports?’ Well, I’ve got a guy you need to meet,” said Davalos Wednesday this week at Kraken Community Iceplex.

That guy, Marlyn Kraft, was sitting in the Kraken player’s lounge with Davalos as his guest at the Kraken Unity Fund’s “Hero of the Deep” capstone celebration. The summer event and skating party brought together last season’s “Heroes,” who are all making a difference in lives throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Last January, during the first period of a home game against Toronto, Kraft was that night’s Hero of the Deep, honored for the work he does on behalf of the American Cancer Society. As a breast cancer patient diagnosed in 2009 and now in remission, Kraft provides rides for cancer patients needing transportation and supportive conversation heading to appointments and treatments. His work grew out of a personal vow to first help other men as a volunteer counselor for ACS, then donating his time and driving skills as part of the ACS “Road to Recovery” rides program.

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done [as a volunteer] because you get so much back,” said the 74-year-old Tacoma resident. “All of the [patients] are so expressive. Some of them get in the car sort of nasty or mad [about their diagnoses and fatiguing treatments]. When I tell them my story and encourage them, they end up saying, ‘thank you, you don’t know how much this means to me.’ ”

Aiming to Unite Our Community

The Kraken Unity Fund and Hero of the Deep program launched in October 2022 with the start of the Kraken’s second season to recognize “inspiring individuals who are doing outstanding work to transform lives, enable resiliency and uplift and unite our community across the Pacific Northwest.” With financial backing from the team’s ownership group led by David Bonderman and Samantha Holloway, the fund was created by One Roof Foundation, the Kraken and in partnership with Starbucks.

Midway through the first period of every home game, the Kraken announces a new “Hero” individual or organization, with One Roof Foundation arranging to donate $32,000 to the hero’s choice of the receiving nonprofit organization. Last season, $1.3 million was awarded to the honorees’ choice of nonprofit.

The program will continue for a third straight season this fall, beginning with the Oct. 8 home opener. Nominations from the public are welcome and accepted on a rolling basis.

Drilling for Leadership

Other honorees on hand Wednesday were several leaders from The Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, which is an intentional nonprofit for young Asian American girls that was first established in 1952.

“We foster leadership skills and friendships,” said Isabelle Gonn, director of the drill team collective. “The organization was established because there was a group of girls at Garfield High School who didn’t have a place to go after school. In Chinese culture back in the 1950s, parents didn’t usually let the girls outside of their homes [after school]. The boys always had activities to do; the girls did not.”

Enter Chinese-American restaurateur and Seattle politician Ruby Chow: “The Garfield girls wanted to do more, so they went to Ruby Chow to ask if she would sponsor them,” said Gonn, who was part of the drill team for six years during her youth.

The team participates in “military-style marching that teaches discipline and how to be a team player,” said Gonn. The drill team performs around the Pacific Northwest, including an upcoming appearance at MoPop this fall (the girls will enjoy a field trip there this weekend). The “Hero” award surprised Gonn and her colleagues.

“My gosh, what a reception at the game [Feb. 19 vs. Detroit],” said Gonn, smiling. “We had no idea that was going to happen. All of the money went to the team for transportation, food costs and other operational costs we have. We’re totally honored … we’re an all-volunteer organization. It gave us a sense of, hey, we’re doing something great for the community.”

How the $32,000 Can Make a Distinct Difference

For many organizations, the $32,000 award has a distinct and valuable purpose (the sum that nods to the 32,000 ticket depositors back on March 1, 2018, that profoundly convinced the National Hockey League to award the franchise to Seattle). That’s because many nonprofits are sustained by public grant funds that put parameters and certain restrictions on how money can be spent. The Hero of the Deep funds can be used as the nonprofit recipient organization sees fit.

“I love that question,” said William Towey, executive director of Lake City Partners, a “Hero of the Deep” beneficiary with a mission to end homelessness in North Seattle by providing shelter and support services to help individuals in need connect to other organizations and government agencies that can lead to stabilization, recovery and permanent housing. “One of the most important things for an organization like ourselves is unrestricted grant funding. Most of our funding comes in the form of cost-reimbursement contracts that are very specific about what you can and can’t spend your money on.”

The Kraken Unity Fund awarded trusted Lake City Partners to spend the money as most urgently needed, which turned out to be using Lyft services to give the homeless rides to shelters and other services. The suddenly available option proved significantly more cost-effective and solution-successful than “figuring out how to do nonprofit vans,” said Towey.

“The funds are helping us get folks to a place where they can be housed,” said Towey. “Others might need to seek medical facilities or visit government agencies to get paperwork in order to get a social security card.”

Cycling Youth Empowerment – and Joy

For Rich Brown, honored at the Jan. 24 game against Chicago, his BikeWorks nonprofit is all about literally and figuratively transporting disadvantaged youth to a better place via bicycling. He loves what he does and changes lives with every summer camp weeks or extended road tours with young riders or sessions teaching youth how to repair and maintain bikes.

Brown has been at it since 1996 with the mission to “promote the bicycle as a vehicle for change to empower youth and build resilient communities” and “make bicycling accessible and affordable to the Seattle community.” One more not-to-overlook outcome: His nonprofit bike shop is keeping thousands of bikes from ending up in landfill.

It all makes Brown feel valued, but Wednesday night he reflected how the Kraken Unity Fund amplified his positive outlook.

“When I get thank you’s from young people, it makes me happy for the my efforts,” said Brown, who was later spotted gamely testing out his skating skills in a fashion that might be compared to his newbie pupils balancing on two wheels for the first time. “But this particular honor, with my mom coming into town [from California], the Kraken and the One Roof Foundation really made it happen for us [including providing Mom with a walker and wheelchair at the game]. It’s now why you do the work, but it does bring a level of joy. It was a great feeling that night.”

THE 2023-24 HEROES OF THE DEEP

October 17, 2023 – Mary Ellen Stone, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center

October 19, 2023 – Brian Wallach, I am ALS

October 21, 2023 – Sidney Culbert & Kaela Chow, Athletes for Kids

November 2, 2023 – Nate McMillan, Nate McMillan Foundation

November 4, 2023 – Miriam Lara, Rainier Athletes

November 11, 2023 – Andrew Carpenter, Blue Star Families

November 13, 2023 – Captain Dan Krehbiel, Maritime High School

November 16, 2023 – Paul Wallace, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Foundation

November 20, 2023 – Wing Luke Staff, Wing Luke

November 22, 2023 – Food Lifeline Delivery Drivers, Food Lifeline

November 24, 2023 – Val Thomas-Matson, Look, Listen + Learn TV

December 7, 2023 – Linzy Burton, YouthCare

December 9, 2023 – Dr. Ada McDaniel, Mother Nation

December 10, 2023 – Kathryn Whitehill, Lake City Partners

December 12, 2023 – Bob Davidson, Seattle Aquarium

December 14, 2023 – Eddie and Jill Vedder, EBRP

December 16, 2023 – Johnny Ohta, Ryther

December 29, 2023 – Sam Martin, Mockingbird Society

January 1, 2024 – Jackson, Make a Wish

January 4, 2024 – Karly Lee, Venesa Swan, and Cobie Sparks-Howard, Wellspring Family Services

January 21, 2024 – Maryln Kraft, American Cancer Society

January 24, 2024 – Rich Brown, Bike Works

January 26, 2024 – John Gladney, Playworks

January 28, 2024 – Galia Zaldivar, King County Play Equity Coalition

February 19, 2024 – The Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team

February 22, 2024 – Willard Brown, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association

February 24, 2024 – Josh Cupps, Seattle Sled Hockey

February 26, 2024 – Michelle Merriweather, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

February 29, 2024 – Esther Min, Center for Environmental Health Equity

March 2, 2024 – Corinne McKisson, Compass Housing Alliance

March 8, 2024 – Spirit Miska, Skate Like a Girl

March 12, 2024 – Denise Overton Lewis, Boys and Girls Club of King County

March 14, 2024 – Mike and Ashley McCready, Washington Innocence Project

March 16, 2024 – Jordan Remington, Friends of Waterfront Park

March 18, 2024 – Nikki Gane-Butler, Dignity for Divas

March 24, 2024 – Kelly Campbell, Special Olympics Washington

March 26, 2024 – Doug Baldwin, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Champions of Change

March 28, 2024 – De Aunte Damper, Lavender Rights Project

March 30, 2024 – Bryce Hanson, Backpack Brigade

April 9, 2024 – Andrew Stout, Stewardship Partners

April 11, 2024 – 50/50 Raffle Sellers, One Roof Foundation Hockey Access Programs

The next chapter of Kraken hockey starts now, be part of it. Season Ticket Memberships are available.