Donation sends sled hockey team to MN

AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) - Another hockey team is about to make Buffalo proud with a trip to the "frozen four" of the sled hockey world.

The Buffalo Sled Hockey team will hit the ice in Minnesota this weekend for the first-ever Adult Hockey National Championship. But they almost had to turn down their invitation.

That's because this team of talented athletes with physical challenges didn't have the money to make the trip. But Northtown Automotive companies didn't want to see them miss an opportunity of a lifetime. And so on Tuesday at the Northtown Center at Amherst, Northtown presented the team with a check for $2,500. Toyota is matching that donation.

Craig Schreiber of Northtown Automotive companies said, "When Northtown found out these amazing and inspiring athletes weren't going to make it to the first-ever national championship games in Minnesota, we didn't think twice about supporting their dreams. And thanks to a matching grant from Toyota, we're able to send them on their way later this week to make Buffalo proud."

Several players on the Buffalo Sled Hockey team are also members of the U.S. National Sled Hockey team, which won gold last year at the Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. We wish them all the best of luck.