The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and the Goals & Assists Scholarship Fund are helping to provide Philadelphia-area student-athletes who participated in the foundation’s hockey programming as children with a no-cost education at West Chester University.

Scott Tharp, the Snider Hockey Program President and CEO, recently presented WCU President Chris Fiorentino a second $500,000 check, bringing the foundation’s total donation to $1 million and scholarship years to 200.

Having gifted $1 million over the course of the past three years, Ed Snider Youth Hockey and the Goals & Assists Program have assured that many of its student-athletes can attend WCU for four years, tuition-free.

Currently, 19 Snider Hockey alumni are attending the university on scholarship, which includes room and board, thanks to this unique program.

Snider Hockey was created by the late Philadelphia Flyers Chairman Ed Snider in 2005 as his personal commitment to teach children important life lessons.

Using the sport of hockey, the mission of Snider Hockey is to build lives and unite communities, helping educate young people to succeed in the game of life.

Snider Hockey programs are provided at no cost to underserved boys and girls who otherwise would not have the opportunity to play, and they emphasize character development, life skills, fitness, nutrition, and academics.

Both Snider Hockey and Give Back are dedicated to helping inspire and academically motivate young people to excel, despite financial and social challenges.

Through a joint venture between these two organizations, the Goals & Assists Foundation was created to provide Snider Hockey participants with the opportunity to attend one of several post-secondary institutions.