Of course, O’Reilly wasn’t alone on Monday. As they finished their responsibilities on the ice, each member of the Predators lineup made sure to spend a portion of their day with the 10 deserving children.
Whether through a friendly game of tic-tac-toe with Luke Evangelista, a shared lunch with Gustav Nyquist or a locker room tour with Roman Josi, each interaction went further than the athletes could have possibly realized.
“The Predators are so generous and so kind, and I don't see these guys as doing it just because they have to,” Tennessee Kids Belong Executive Director Kristin Allender said. “They are pouring into these kids, and you can tell that it means a lot. These kids have been through a lot in their lives and we hold in tension the weight of what a day like this means.”
The day was special, too, for former First Lady of Tennessee Crissy Haslam, who’s developed close relationships with many of the children in the Tennessee Kids Belong network in the five years she’s served on the board.
“We’re very proud of the Predators for being a part of this and opening their hearts and their day to these children,” Haslam said. “These kids have touched my heart, and what really gets me excited is when I get an email saying, ‘Remember that one child? They’ve found a home.’ There's nothing like it. You just start to weep.”
Though the locker room tours and Zamboni rides were certainly a large part of the experience, getting to those success stories was at the center of Monday’s visit.
Each of the 10 elementary to high school-aged children who visited 501 Broadway on Monday left with a special adoption video, filmed alongside a Preds player.
The videos, which showcase each child’s bright and unique personality, will then be distributed to partner organizations throughout the state in hopes of finding adopting families.
“Tennessee has more than 450 kids that need forever families,” Haslam said. “We get some placed and more come into the group, but that’s still a small number for a state our size. And I know there are 450 families out there somewhere that would love to have these kids. And I think as we get the wheels turning in this organization we’re going to be able to bring that number down.”
There’s a goal too to increase the number of foster families in Tennessee, families like the O’Reillys, who gave many children a place to feel safe and nurtured during uncertain and difficult times.
“When you have a community that really comes together around these kids and these families, you see so much success,” Allender said. “You see successful placements, kids finding homes, foster families being able to foster longer, and it’s just a really beautiful thing.”
For proof, look no further than No. 90 himself.
“The older I got, the more I understood how special it was, what my parents were doing in opening their home,” O’Reilly said. “There are some people out there that need help and need to learn how to develop relationships with people and care about each other. And at times, it's not easy, and there are always challenges within that, but I think it gave me a real understanding that people come from some bad situations sometimes and need help. And it's just an amazing thing, and that great understanding I think helps me in so many ways.”
Click here to learn more about Tennessee Kids Belong.
