Ilitch Charities for Children Awards Scholarships to Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League Players

    DETROIT, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Ilitch Charities for Children (ICC), a non-profit, charitable foundation established by the Ilitch family in 2000 to support children's causes in the areas of health, education and recreation, today announced the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League (LCAHL) Scholarship winners for 2007. The students received their scholarships at a luncheon July 26 at Hockeytown Cafe, where current Detroit Red Wings player Kirk Maltby, Assistant General Manager Jim Nill and Vice President Steve Yzerman were in attendance with other guests and dignitaries. The scholarship recipients are:     --  Matt Bottke of Davisburg     --  Carter Docking of Adrian     --  Samantha Fahl of Rapid City     --  Mathew Schramm of Jackson     --  Jason Spitler of Warren     --  Daniel Van Dorp of Macomb     Each honoree will receive a $2,000 scholarship toward the college or university of their choice.     "We proudly honor these six LCAHL players, and we're pleased to assist them in meeting their educational and career goals," said Christopher Ilitch, chairman of ICC and president & CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc in presenting the awards. "These talented young people have performed at the highest level, both on and off the ice. They represent the qualities that are the foundation of our Little Caesars hockey program -- dedication, teamwork and pride."     The hockey scholarship, funded by ICC, honors outstanding high school male and female athletes and provides each of them with a scholarship toward the college or university of their choice. To qualify for the scholarship, students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average or above, be a current member of a Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League team and have plans to attend a college or university within the next two years.     The Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League Association (LCAHL) was started by Mike and Marian Ilitch in 1979. With 800 teams and over 15,000 players across the Midwest, LCAHL is the nation's largest amateur hockey league. Thousands of LCAHL alumni have moved on to play collegiate hockey and 100 or more have played in the NHL.     About Ilitch Charities for Children     The mission of Ilitch Charities for Children (ICC) is to improve the lives of children in the areas of health, education and recreation. A non-profit foundation, ICC assists a variety of groups throughout Michigan and metropolitan Detroit each year. ICC grants have recently been awarded to COTS (Coalition on Temporary Shelter) to build an infant care center, Mosaic Youth Theatre, Math Corps at Wayne State University, Special Olympics of Michigan, Bridging Communities, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, MI-COPS (Michigan Concerns of Police Survivors), the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and Junior Achievement Finance Park in Detroit. ICC also supports the Little Caesars AAA Hockey program with an annual scholarship program.     About the Scholarship Honorees     Matt Bottke is from Davisburg and plans to attend the honors college at Ferris State University to study pre-optometry. His 3.97 GPA earned him the prestigious distinction as a Senior Scholar, one of the top ten students at Clarkston High School based on grade point average. Bottke has participated in Little Caesars hockey for eight years, and served one season as team captain.     Carter Docking, a native of Adrian, will study pre-medicine and play club hockey at Albion College. With his outstanding 4.0+ GPA, Docking was named co- valedictorian at Tecumseh High School. He has played Little Caesars hockey for two years. The National Honor Society, Business Professionals of America and Foreign Language Club all benefited from Docking's participation. He volunteered at St. Benedict's Brunch for seniors and the Watchful Shepard Fishing Tournament for Cancer.     Samantha Fahl of Rapid City attends Northwestern Michigan College and is pursuing a major in aviation and a minor in business. Fahl was home schooled in high school and earned a GPA of 3.75. During her high school years, she donated her time to support a political campaign and tutored special needs children three times a week. Fahl currently plays on a club hockey team.     Mathew Schramm of Jackson plans to study film at Full Sail Real World Education in Orlando, Florida. He graduated from East Jackson High School with a 3.4 GPA. Schramm played five seasons of Little Caesars Amateur Hockey.     Jason Spitler is from Warren and currently plans to begin his college education at Macomb Community College. Spitler served as a peer mentor at his high school, helping accounting students prepare for tests and quizzes. He also successfully balanced his academic endeavors and 3-year Little Caesars hockey career with a part time job at a local pharmacy.     Daniel Van Dorp of Macomb plans to attend Oakland University this fall to pursue a career in nursing. His overall goal is to become a nurse anesthetist. A graduate of Dakota High School, he has played Little Caesars hockey for 10 years. Van Dorp, who suffers from Crohn's disease, finds the time to raise money annually for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and the American Cancer Society.     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070727/CLF029 )  

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