Always active in the community, the Islanders lent a helping hand on Wednesday when the Islanders Children's Foundation teamed up with Operation Shower for the second straight year to host a baby shower at the UBS Club at UBS Arena for 25 active-duty service members and spouses/partners of deployed members from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New York National Guard, New Jersey National Guard, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
"The Islanders are proud to partner with Operation Shower to honor these courageous military moms-to-be," said Ann Rina, the Islanders Executive Director of Community Relations. "We're delighted to welcome these new little "rookies" into the Islanders family."
MSG Networks Islanders host Shannon Hogan served as the emcee for the event with many of the Islanders players' wives/partners on hand to lend their support. The day included a catered lunch, raffle prizes and a visit from the Islanders' mascot Sparky. It was a hockey-themed event that featured the presentation of Operation Shower's signature "Showers in a Box" to the military families. The box included products donated by Diaper Geneie, Romp & Roost, Delta Children and Stella & Dot.
"Operation Shower was created to support military moms who hold it all together," said Operation Shower Founder and Chief Shower Officer LeAnn Morrissey. "These moms deserve our appreciation and a chance to celebrate this special time."
Operation Shower is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is dedicated to celebrating and honoring military families with the presentation of joyful baby showers for military moms-to-be. Since the organization's inception in 2007, they have held these events that are designed to ease the stress of deployment and today they have showered by than 9,000 military moms from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and National Guard on various military bases as at other locations.
For more information on Operation Shower, please visit their website at www.operationshower.org.
The Islanders have historically been a driving force in the Long Island community and they have certainly continued that tradition with a baby shower for military families.
