Inaugural Can Am Classics Hockey Game to benefit the Justin Hope Foundation

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A special hockey game between Team USA and Team Canada took place at Reno Ice on Saturday afternoon. All for a local non-profit organization, the Justin Hope Foundation, dedicated to helping families affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities. Proceeds from ticket sales will help the nonprofit continue its work in our community, such as training first responders on how to better handle high pressure situations with our community with special needs.

“We did this Friday night and we do it Saturday afternoon, we were full both days, so that’s just a huge impression on us, and the support we have from the community to come and support the Justin Hope Foundation and what we stand for, what we do, and how we try to help the community, and how we try to help people like my son Justin,” said Art Reitz, co-founder of the Justin Hope Foundation. .

April is Autism Awareness Month, the Justin Hope Foundation is named after Justin Reitz, Art’s 19-year-old son with autism. The non-profit organization was founded in 2011 when Art and his wife wanted to create support for other families like theirs. Attendees got to see Justin drop the puck from the game, and Scheels presented the nonprofit with a check for the amount raised from ticket sales.

To learn more about the Justin Hope Foundation, click here.