A 5K To Honor Late Hockey Players Johnny, Matthew Gaudreau Raised $500K For Playground At Special Ed. School

A 5k held in May to remember the life and legacy of brothers and hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau has raised enough money to make a big impact on a special education school in New Jersey.

On May 31st, thousands of people attended the first "Gaudreau Family 5K Run/Walk and Family Day" in Sewell, New Jersey. 

The goal of this event was to raise money for the Archbishop Damiano School in Westville, NJ, a school where the Gaudreau's grandmother Marie, worked for 44 years (she passed away in 2023).

Today, their mother, Jane, works at the same school, along with their sister, Kristen.

Thanks to the vast participation, both in-person and virtual, the run raised more than $500,000, enough to break ground on an accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano (a special education school). 

The cause to raise money for the playground began in October 2020 by principal Michele McCloskey, but the effort to raise enough money stalled until this event took place.

Groundbreaking is set to take place later in August or in early September, and Oct. 4 is the rough start date for a community build.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Johnny Gaudreau of the Columbus Blue Jackets takes a break during a stoppage in play against the Colorado Avalanche at Nationwide Arena on April 1, 2024. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

Johnny played 10 seasons in the NHL as a member of the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets. He and Matthew were tragically killed while cycling by a drunk driver in August 2024 in a tragedy that rocked the United States sports world. Thankfully, their memory and impact continues to reach people even though they aren’t with us anymore.