Congressman Brian Higgins has helped to secure a $15,000 federal grant that will help to get local veterans out on the ice playing hockey. The funds will be directed towards Buffalo Sabres Warriors Hockey – a program that supports veterans to engage in traditional and sled hockey. The funding was procured from Veterans Affairs Adaptive Sports Programs for Disabled Veterans, and Members of the Armed Forces initiative.
“The Buffalo Sabres Warrior program supports athletics as an outlet for mental and physical rehabilitation in a friendly and competitive environment that encourages camaraderie,” said Higgins, who grew up playing hockey at Cazenovia Rink in South Buffalo, and serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Hockey Caucus . “I commend the Buffalo VA and Sabres for their continued collaboration and commitment to serve our active-duty military and veterans.”
“This is another example of the many great public-private partnership collaborations we have going here in Western New York that enrich our Veterans’ lives. We sincerely thank Congressman Higgins, the Sabres Foundation, and our own VA Recreation Therapy staff for their support and great efforts in making the adaptive hockey program happen,” noted Brian Stiller, VA Western New York Healthcare System Director,
“We are proud of the work that the Buffalo Warriors do for our veterans in the Western New York region. Federal funds help to make our programs possible, and we appreciate the efforts by our congressional delegation, including Congressman Higgins, to ensure that these funds continue to be available for our adapted sports athletes,” said Rich Jureller, President of the Buffalo Sabres Foundation.