Minnesota Wild to Wear Custom Jerseys on November 26 in Celebration of Native American Heritage Day

SAINT PAUL, Minn., Nov. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Hockey League's (NHL) Minnesota Wild have announced that they are partnering with the Prairie Island Indian Community to celebrate Native American Heritage Day on Friday, November 26 when it hosts the Winnipeg Jets at 2:30 p.m.

Native American Heritage Day, signed into law in 2008, takes place the day after Thanksgiving and honors Native Americans across the nation. The day celebrates the vibrant cultures, traditions, and heritages while recognizing the many contributions Native Americans have made.

"Our tribe is proud to be active and engaged in Minnesota, and giving back is at the core of who we are as Dakota people," says Shelley Buck, Prairie Island Indian Community Tribal Council President. "Our partnership with the Wild gives us a platform to share our story and celebrate our culture with the community, which we are honored to do on this national holiday."

To commemorate Native American Heritage Day, Wild players will wear custom Native American Heritage hockey jerseys during the pre-game warm up. Designed by members of the Treasure Island Resort & Casino and Wild creative teams, the jerseys pay tribute to the Minnesota Native American community with a specially designed Dakota emblem and writing.

The custom jerseys will be up for bid November 26^th - December 6th on the Minnesota Wild Foundation Handbid Auction platform. Proceeds generated from the auction will go toward supporting the Minnesota Wild Foundation. The Wild organization launched the Minnesota Wild Foundation in 2009 in order to dedicate its unique resources to support children's medical causes and to advance youth hockey throughout the State of Hockey. 

Fans can purchase a special Native American Heritage Day ticket package, with a portion of ticket sales donated back to the Lower Phalen Creek Project. T-shirt jerseys that feature the specially designed Dakota emblem will be given to the first 5,000 fans attending Friday's game.

"The Minnesota Wild Foundation has a long-standing relationship with the Prairie Island Indian Community," said Minnesota Wild Foundation Executive Director Rachel Schuldt. "We are grateful for this partnership that allows us to preserve the great hockey tradition in our state helping families afford to play the game they love as well as supporting children's medical related charities."

The Prairie Island Indian Community and Treasure Island Resort & Casino are also working this hockey season to support The Big Assist Program. For every assist made by Wild players during regular season games, Treasure Island Resort & Casino will donate $200 to the Wild Foundation to support diversity in hockey programming. The program will support removing any barriers associated with playing hockey by providing scholarships, equipment and access to opportunities to play to youth from diverse backgrounds and fund opportunities for youth hockey associations to apply for resources to support diversity, equity and inclusion in their community programs. As of November 15, Minnesota has registered 76 assists in 14 games this season, raising $15,200 for the Wild Foundation.

A proud partner of the Minnesota Wild for over two decades, Treasure Island Resort & Casino and the Prairie Island Indian Community have supported the Minnesota Wild Foundation through community giving since its inception in 2009. Through initiatives like The Big Assist Program, the Prairie Island Indian Community has donated over $1 million to the Minnesota Wild Foundation.    

Images of the jersey and other visual assets can be found here.

About Minnesota Wild Foundation
The 2021-2022 season marks the twelfth season of giving for the Minnesota Wild Foundation. The Minnesota Wild Foundation exists to support the game of hockey and improve the lives of families in the State of Hockey. With support from Wild players, fans and donors, the Minnesota Wild Foundation supports pediatric medical causes, serves as the largest non-member funding source for Minnesota Hockey, and provides fundraising opportunities for youth hockey associations across the state. Since its inception in 2009, the Wild Foundation has distributed more than $4.6 million in grants to hockey organizations and children's medical related charities and has dispersed over $2.4 million to local charities through its Split the Pot Raffle program. Together we create a Greater State of Hockey. For more information and to make a donation visit www.wild.com/foundation or contact us at [email protected] or 651-602-6000. Follow the Minnesota Wild Foundation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Treasure Island Resort & Casino
The Prairie Island Indian Community owns and operates Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Mount Frontenac Golf Course and Dakota Station. Treasure Island Resort & Casino is the only casino in southern Minnesota located on the Mississippi River. The property features more than 2,200 slots, 44 table games, a poker room and a recently refreshed 500-seat high stakes bingo hall. Treasure Island Resort & Casino's 788-room hotel, which includes the Wolf Tower, is the second largest hotel in Minnesota. Additional amenities include The Lagoon indoor water park, Wave Spa, Island Xtreme Bowl, Cyber Quest arcade, Kids Quest child care, various restaurants, a 16,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, a 2,800-seat indoor event and convention center, a 137-slip marina, a 95-site RV park and a 100-passenger yacht. For more information, visit TIcasino.com.

-- WILD –

Wild Contact:    Aaron Sickman (651) 602-6009
Treasure Island Contacts: Laudan Fenster (612) 843-2323
Aaron Seehusen (651) 385-2733

SOURCE Treasure Island Resort & Casino