Hockey Goalie Runs Toy Drive for Children’s Hospital

Last year, Boston College men's hockey goalie, Parker Milner, CSOM '13, ran a toy drive for the Children's Hospital of Boston at the hockey games against the University of Vermont and Boston University.

Milner is running a toy drive again this year and said that he wants it to be even more successful than the two last year.

"The drive went OK the first time we did it at the Vermont game," Milner said. "But after that first try we got help from other people making sure that it was more widely known about and had a good deal of success with it at the BU game."

Another aspect of last year's drive which Milner pointed out was that the majority of donations came from families and adults in the area, not the students of BC. He said that he wants to change this aspect of the drive by making students more aware.

Milner said that the inspiration for the event came from a simple desire to help others.

"There is not any particular inspiration other than wanting to help the children of Boston who have to spend the holidays in the hospital," Milner said. "When I was in junior hockey, we had a tradition called Teddy Bear Toss. Basically around Christmas time after our first goal people would throw teddy bears on the ice as donations and the players would skate around and pick them up."

However, he said that that system was slightly chaotic and wanted to create something a little bit more civil.

All donations will be accepted, either packaged or unpackaged toys, but Milner said packaged toys are preferred if at all possible. Packaged toys will be sent to the Children's Hospital in Boston and unpackaged toys will be sent to a local "Toys for Tots" drive.

Milner said that there is a new aspect to the drive this year which is currently in the works, the proceeds from which will be used to buy more toys to augment the drive.

"We are working on getting players in the National Hockey League to donate jerseys which will then be raffled off at the game the night of the toy drive," he said.

"My hopes are for it to be infinitely bigger and more successful," Milner said of his hopes for the drive.

The toy drive will, as last year, take place during the hockey game against Boston University at Conte Forum on Dec. 2.