Islanders Wives and Girlfriends Go Holiday Toy Shopping for Children

The New York Islanders' wives got some important holiday shopping done on Tuesday morning, as they handpicked toys for children in local hospitals at the Westbury Target.
The women broke into teams to pick out toys and gifts for a variety of different age groups, from infants to teenagers. They filled over a dozen carts with over 650 toys that will head to 11 hospitals, in Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and Connecticut, including Cohen Children's Medical Center. The toy shopping, as well as the toy delivery, is supported by the Islanders Children's Foundation.

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"The community, they support our husbands, every game, they're out there cheering for them," Cassie Clutterbuck said. "It's really nice for us to chip in and be a part of things and support the community and be there for them when they're going through a rough time, especially around the holidays."
The event occurred annually prior to the pandemic, but this is the first time since 2019 that the team has been able to host.

In addition to Clutterbuck, the group of wives included Grace Lee, Kristy Cizikas, Emily Mayfield and Jen Pelech, among others, all came to help pick out toys for children in need.
Some of the wives are moms themselves, giving them a leg up picking out toys, knowing from personal experience what to get for different genders and age groups.
"I do feel like I have an advantage having my own children, especially now that my oldest is 10," Clutterbuck said. "She's kind of getting to that age where maybe toys aren't really her thing anymore. So it is a bit more challenging, but I do have a little insight onto what to get those older kids."

Cizikas has a two-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy, so she said picking out toys for toddlers was easy for her. She said had fun looking at the dolls and baby items as well as the trucks and dinosaurs and thinking about what her own kids would like. Cizikas was working with Clutterbuck, who has older kids, made them as good a pair picking out holiday toys as their husbands are on the penalty kill.
Being a mom also made the experience even more meaningful.
"It hits home a little bit more, because you think about your own kids and how special the holidays are," Lee said. "Just to think that some kids are spending their time in the hospital, that they get that opportunity to feel really special during such a special time of year."