DAWG Nation founder Marty Richardson is a finalist for Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award
"I've never really met someone who cares so deeply as Marty does. He has this bandwidth that nobody else has."
DAWG Nation was born out of necessity and love. After three of his teammates were diagnosed with cancer in a 9-day span, Marty Richardson knew he had to do something. What started as a small act of charity has grown into a critical lifeline for people in need.
"People in need, when they need him most when things are going poorly for their family for whatever reason, Marty finds a way to get the job done and step up and help them," Jared Bednar, head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, said.
To date, DAWG Nation has donated over $4 million to deserving recipients.
"To watch someone in despair and lift off them an incredible burden that's holding them down and keeping them from thriving and keeping them from focusing on what's important, which is getting better. I can just watch the relief come off their face. It's really something to behold." Marty Richardson, Founder and CEO of DAWG Nation, said.
DAWG Nation has provided life-changing money to countless people dealing with overwhelming medical costs and living expenses. But anyone on the receiving end will tell you that what Marty gives goes far beyond financial relief.
"I know there are lots of other recipients that will tell you the same thing - the money is one thing but the support is really the difference maker," Nigel Richardson, DAWG Nation recipient, said.
One fighter under DAWG Nation's wing is Sarah Karr, a warrior battling stage four pancreatic cancer.
"We're fighting the battle pretty well," Sarah said.
Every Wednesday, Sarah takes the ice with other members of DAWG Nation - to play hockey and forget about their worries. It's called Hockey Heals. For Sarah, it's the perfect way to start a day that ends with a hard round of chemotherapy.
"It's a really tough day. It knocks me down for a couple of days, so just getting out and playing hockey in the morning, and meeting everyone in the locker room, it's so uplifting for me," Sarah said. "It pauses life for a little while. You forget you have cancer."
For Sarah, Hockey Heals is an escape and a source of motivation and joy.
"Just hearing everyone's stories and to see them out here, it gives me hope. They did it, I can do it too."
Patrick Donnelly is a regular at Hockey Heals. But not this week. He's been fighting congestive heart failure since 2011.
"Everybody likes to call you brave, but we're just moving forward. That's really what it's all about," Donnelly said.
This week, he got the call he's been waiting years for - he's getting a new heart.
So before taking the ice, the Hockey Heals group gathered for a ceremony to pray for Patrick and honor his donor.
Now, as Patrick turns his focus to healing, he will have the power of Marty and DAWG Nation behind him.
"Martin and DAWG Nation took care of everything for me, for months," Nigel Richardson said about the support he received after receiving a heart transplant two years ago. "And Patrick is going to get the same from DAWG Nation. He just has to worry about getting better."
Marty's work extends far beyond Colorado. In 2018, after one of the most devastating tragedies to strike the hockey world, the Humboldt Broncos bus crash that killed sixteen and injured thirteen, Marty was there...
"At an overwhelming time, he reached out. From then on he has gone above and beyond, and that's what he does," Bednar said. "That connection we've grown through me trying to help the Humboldt community, and him jumping in with both feet to try and accomplish that. And.. Tying it to Colorado with some of the trips he's had, it's been amazing."
Marty's impact grows by the day. His hope, along with helping those in need, is to show people see that hockey is for everyone. That hockey can heal. That hockey is more than a sport, it's a community.
"We've seen it repair family relationships. I've seen it improve brain injuries. relationships... It doesn't matter what color your skin is or if you're male or female. You're welcome here. I think Marty is the one who built that community and made it possible," Donnelly said.
