December

Alex Ovechkin Shops for Toys for Tots

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin shopped for toys on Friday, Dec. 2 at Toys “R” Us in Baileys Crossroads, Va., which will be donated to the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation. Ovechkin was joined by Comcast SportsNet analyst and Caps alumnus Alan May, Elliot in the Morning’s Elliot Segal, Lance Corporals Ackerman, Brown and Ayers of the U.S. Marines and the GEICO Gecko. The group spent $10,114 donated by Washington Capitals Charities on nearly 500 toys that will be distributed to underserved D.C. area children throughout the holiday season.

“It’s nice to know that we can help make a lot of kids happy for the holidays,” said Ovechkin, the Capitals’ toy drive spokesman. “I had a lot of fun today and it’s for an important cause.”

This event kicked off the Capitals Toy Drive presented by GEICO, which will take place when the Capitals host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Verizon Center on Dec. 9. Fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to the F Street entrance of Verizon Center between 5:30 and 8 p.m. The first 2,000 fans to bring a toy or make a monetary donation will receive a free poster of Ovechkin. Last season the Capitals and their fans raised more than $5,000 and filled a 17-foot JK Moving truck with toys.