Nashville, Tenn. (March 2, 2021) – Tonight, the Nashville Predators will host SMASHVILLE STRONG Night presented by Kroger to honor the one-year anniversary of the devastating tornadoes that tore through Nashville and its surrounding counties into the early hours of March 3, 2020. As Nashville faces Carolina, the Predators will remember the lives lost to the tornadoes and thank the countless individuals and groups within the community who have contributed to the recovery efforts.
“On the one-year anniversary, we honor not only the lives tragically lost in last year’s tornadoes, but also the ongoing work being done by so many to uphold our community’s health and safety,” Nashville Predators President & CEO Sean Henry said. “In the wake of the tornadoes, global pandemic, civil unrest, Christmas morning explosion and more, our city and region has rallied together time and time again to recover from an extremely difficult year. We thank each and every person and organization that has contributed to the efforts of the last year, and we look forward to working together to become even more SMASHVILLE STRONG in the months to come.”
As soon as the damage from the tornadoes was realized last March, the Nashville Predators, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville Predators Foundation presented by SmileDirectClub and the Ford Ice Centers were joined by many groups in their recovery efforts, including support from Predators ownership, players, coaches, management and staff, as well as the NHL, other NHL teams, artists Dan + Shay and the generosity of Predators fans and partners.
Through these joint efforts in the seven weeks following the tornadoes and onset of the coronavirus pandemic, $2.7 million was delivered in support of non-profits, local and state government relief initiatives, out-of-work event staff, first responders, healthcare workers and more. For those who wish to contribute to the ongoing tornado relief efforts, Nashville Strong merchandise can be purchased on NashvilleLockerRoom.com.
Later this week, as Nashville opens its two-game series against Florida on Thursday, the Predators will also kick-off Gender Equality Month. In conjunction with National Women’s History Month, March is recognized as Gender Equality Month across the NHL. The Nashville Predators will honor and highlight the many women and girls who contribute to making Smashville great and the growth of the game of hockey in Middle Tennessee. This kick-off comes shortly after the launch of the new Preds Girls Hockey program, which was formed using funds from the NHL’s Industry Growth Fund.
That same night, the first Smashville SuperGrant of the 2020-21 season will also be announced. Introduced as part of the groundbreaking partnership between the Predators Foundation and Nashville-based SmileDirectClub, several SuperGrants were awarded during the 2019-20 season for the purpose of completing large-scale projects in support of empowering lives during times of transition across education, health and cultural needs statewide. Additional details on the recipient organization will be shared on Thursday.
The Predators will face the Panthers once more on Saturday in the first Hockey Fights Cancer Game to be held at Bridgestone Arena in over a year. Prior to the game, the team will make virtual visits with the young patients at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and give a virtual locker room tour. The Predators Foundation looks to build off the immense fan support seen during their Hockey Fights Cancer efforts in November and December, which raised $91,000 for the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund presented by Twice Daily. Saturday’s game will be presented by Vanderbilt Health and the team will wear their Reverse Retro jerseys and navy helmets, which feature the Vanderbilt Health logo.
Limited single-game tickets for Saturday are available at Ticketmaster.com, but Preds fans will have several ways to support Hockey Fights Cancer and the 365 Fund regardless of whether they are at the game or not. Some options include:
- Following @PredsNHL and @PredsFoundation on social media as we highlight our Hockey Fights Cancer heroes.
- Purchasing apparel on the Preds Hockey Fights Cancer Store.
- Bidding on silent auction items such as lavender jerseys worn by the Preds, player headshots drawn by the patients and more by texting PREDS to 76278.
- Purchasing a locker room name plate with your name or the name of a Predators player here.