Troop 1059 receives free seats in the Storm Center Box at Mariners hockey games
February 17 & 18, 2023
PORTLAND—Troop 1059 had the best seats in the house for two Maine Mariners hockey games last weekend thanks to a News Center Maine donation program. The program offers premium seats in the Storm Center Box for Maine-based youth organizations and non-profits to experience home games free of charge.
The girls had a great time singing along to the music, performing goal dances, eating endless boxes of popcorn, and cheering on their home team, who won both nights! Since the Storm Center Box only holds 13 people at a time, the 24-girl troop split up into two groups who attended separate games on Friday and Saturday night.
“We definitely had some first timers attending the game, and the excitement was palpable,” said Troop Leader Tasha Passmore.
Aside from the obvious highlight of the girls getting hugs and high-fives from Beacon, the Mariners mascot, Tasha says her biggest takeaway was watching the girls share a playful moment with one another.
“The most rewarding part of the experience as a leader was giving the girls an opportunity to experience different adventures together and share what Girl Scouts is all about with the community,” said Tasha.
During both games, the girls even received shoutouts on the jumbotron which were met with roaring applause from everyone in the stands: “It was so heartwarming to hear all of the cheers from the crowd,” said Tasha.
According to Dorene Mills, co-leader of Troop 1059, not only did the girls have a fantastic time rooting for their home team—they also learned about the rules of the game and enjoyed hearing about local female hockey leagues.
“The girls took a definite interest because they thought that only boys could play professional hockey. They were so excited to hear about female hockey teams in our area, as well as women’s leagues that go all the way to the Olympics!” Said Dorene.
Both Tasha and Dorene agreed that their girls would jump at the opportunity to attend a Mariners game again next year and encourage other troop leaders to explore the News Center Maine website to find out how to apply for free seats as well!
See more photos from the hockey games.
