The National Hockey League’s Seattle Kraken will be donating funds to Maui Economic Opportunity and the nonprofit agency’s efforts to support families impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires at their March 31, 2025 game against the Dallas Stars.
The team will donate $5 of each AANHPI ticket purchased to MEO. The special ticket offer is specifically for Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Night, which celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of those groups’ communities. The Night is presented by PitchBook.
For those interested in attending the game at Climate Pledge Arena, Guile Chong of the Kraken said tickets are priced for accessibility and will be between $45.46 to $65.46. The ticket price includes a limited-edition T-shirt, designed by Pacific Islander artist Toka Valu. They can be purchased at https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Aanhpinight2.
So how did an NHL team choose the nonprofit MEO as the beneficiary? The answer is Chong and his manager, Emele Chaddock, who both have Hawai‘i connections.
Chong, who is a group sales representative for the Kraken, grew up in Kalihi on Oahu and attended Punahou School. After graduating with a degree from Northern Arizona University, he began working in sales – which led him to Maui. He switched gears to sports management after the COVID-19 pandemic, earning a master’s degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.
In July 2024, Chong joined the Kraken, lured by the team’s commitment to growing the game.
After the tragic and deadly wildfires, the team was interested in helping families impacted. Chong turned to friends he made on Maui during his sales days for an organization assisting families impacted by the wildfires.
They suggested MEO.
MEO has been providing housing, utility, vehicle, appliance, clothing, school supply and employment assistance to those impacted by the wildfires. The 60-year-old nonprofit also recently closed a program that offered grants up to $10,000 to small businesses struggling due to the wildfires.
In the days after the tragedy, MEO placed residents at evacuation centers into vacation rentals, drove visitors and residents out of Lahaina, helped individuals with document recovery, and offered referrals and assistance to the hundreds who called MEO for help.
“We are so honored to be selected for a donation by the Seattle Kraken, certainly one we were not expecting,” said MEO CEO Debbie Cabebe. “We are still learning about the game of hockey, but we are certainly big fans of the Seattle Kraken.”
The Seattle Kraken are in their fourth season and are the NHL’s 32nd team.
Seattle Kraken Photo
