If you follow hockey, you already know who Alex Ovechkin is. He’s the captain of the Washington Capitals and one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history. While the Caps are not the Kings and I cannot officially “like” them, what Ovechkin is doing off the ice is pretty amazing. He recently launched The GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer® (His jersey number is 8, so that’s where the “GR8” comes from.) For every goal he scores from now until he retires, he’s donating that number in dollars to cancer research. So if he scores his 885th goal, he donates $885. The Capitals are matching the donations so it actually doubles.

I started this blog to help students like me come up with easy, cheap ways to raise awareness about cancer. What Ovechkin is doing is incredible but you don’t have to be an NHL star to make a difference. Here are a few ways you and your friends, classmates, or teammates can get involved:

Donate $8 – It’s Ovechkin’s number, and it’s a suggested amount on his site. But even $1 helps. You can donate at donate.v.org.

Host a bake sale, a 3-on-3 street hockey game, a ribbon or bracelet sale — anything that brings people together.

Post about The GR8 CHASE on Instagram and TikTok. The more people know about it, the more likely they are to donate or get involved.

Wear cancer gear – Even just wearing a wristband or shirt can spark conversations.

Ovechkin’s not just scoring goals, he’s showing us that you can take something you’re passionate about and use it to help others. Let’s follow his example in our own way. You don’t need a paycheck or a platform to make a difference. All you need is passion, creativity, and a desire to help.