DAWG Nation started the way a lot of help in hockey starts: someone in the locker room passed the hat for a teammate who was hurting.
Today it is a registered nonprofit in Littleton, Colorado, led by hockey players and hockey fans. It steps in when a player or a player's family is hit by a bad injury, a serious illness or the loss of a loved one — from the weekend rec-league player trying to get back on the ice to a family grieving someone they lost.
The help is direct. DAWG Nation gives financial support to families, runs fundraisers for individual players, and keeps programs going under names like Hockey Heals, Wrap Around Effect and the Legacy Program. Through the year it raises the money with the kind of events hockey people already love: three-on-three tournaments, a golf day, a comedy night and outdoor games. A Midwest chapter carries the same work beyond Colorado.