By Taylor Nyman, Intern, Souderton Area High School
For a goalie, a shutout is always a nice complement, but for one Wissahickon middle school goalie, it means a lot more.
Jordan Fromm, an eighth grader at Wissahickon, has started his own charity, Shutouts for Kids. His charity raises money to give to the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Every shutout Jordan Fromm gets raises extra money for these foundations.
The idea for Shutouts for Kids started when a family friend of Fromm’s offered him money for every shutout he earned.
“Well, my dad’s friend came up with the idea that he would pay me $25 for each shutout that I got.” Fromm explained.
“I really didn’t need the money so I said ‘Why don’t I make it into a charity?’ and so that’s pretty much how it started,” he continued.
Shutouts for Kids is now in its second year of business and last year it raised over $5,000. This year, Jordan Fromm has almost doubled that, and the season is not even half over yet. Plus he already has one shutout.“I think it’s great that he can take something that’s really important to him and transfer it into something that’s meaningful for him and for his community,” his mother Rhona Fromm said.
For Fromm, giving back is not a new thing. He often goes into Philadelphia to help out with the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation. He helps the kids who are playing goalie along with giving the other kids a target to shoot at.
“I volunteered at the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, and after I saw all the kids that I was helping, it made me realize how lucky I am that I have everything that I have,” Jordan Fromm said.
Shutouts for Kids has gotten a lot of press in the past year. Jordan Fromm has been featured on KYW, in the Ambler Gazette, and on 6-ABC. He even got to meet Ed Snider when he was presenting the money during a Philadelphia Flyers playoff game last season.
“I can’t even describe it. He is so nice, and he led me around,” Jordan Fromm said of meeting Ed Snider.
Fromm has also been named Citizen of the Week in the Montgomery Newspapers and received the Player of the Year Award from the Wissahickon School Ice Hockey Club.
“He loves the game of hockey and he wants to succeed,” Rhona Fromm said of her son.
“I think it’s great to learn at an early age about giving back, when you have things that you cherish, and I think, for a young child, it’s about perspective,” Rhona commented.
“For Jordan to spend time in Philadelphia, West Philadelphia with children who really love hockey but don’t have the means to find resources to play hockey and to put on equipment and those kinds of things - I think it gives Jordan the perspective on life.” She continued.
Jordan Fromm and his family would deeply appreciate more donations. There are several different ways to help this great charity. Visit the Shutouts for Kids web site shutoutsforkids.org and see the many varieties of donations.
Remember, all the money collected at the end of the year goes to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation. Pass the word on to friends, family, and even co-workers.
A little can go a long way. A shutout for Jordan Fromm could mean the chance to go to Disney World or a clean sheet of ice to play on for a child who might not otherwise have that opportunity.
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