The Edmonton Oilers have found another special way to honour the memory of Ben Stelter.
The Oilers have produced ‘Stelter 22’ jerseys — complete with special patch — for sale at ICE District Authentics with proceeds going to support the Ben Stelter Fund, “created to continue the legacy of Ben’s big heart and generosity.”
Stelter, who captured the hearts of players and fans last season, passed away in the summer at age six after a courageous battle with a type of aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma.
“It was a tragic situation and something that you can’t really wrap your head around,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. “He was such a good little guy with such a big heart. You never want to see a family, and especially a kid, go through something like that so any joy that we were able to bring him was always worth it.
“Together we can keep Ben’s spirit alive, and all fight this awful disease together.”
Ben Stelter 22 Jerseys are now available at @IceDistrictAuth
Our hearts are still broken but the amount of love for Ben in #OilCountry has been unbelievable. It blows us away that there was such a demand for these jerseys that the @edmontonoilers are putting them in their stores pic.twitter.com/91a9qdKWu1— Mike Stelter (@m_dan25) February 11, 2023
Oilers players will wear helmet decals and warmup jerseys with the “Stelter” name bar and patch on February 17 against the New York Rangers. The jerseys, and other game-used equipment, will be auctioned with proceeds supporting the Ben Stelter Fund.
Money raised “will be used directly to strengthen the fund’s four strategic pillars: outcome-based research, medical equipment, magical experiences, and venture philanthropy,” according to the ICE District Authentics website.
The special Stelter jerseys are just one of the ways the Oilers are helping.
The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) and Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation are in the midst of a multi-day Mega 50/50 raffle in support of the Ben Stelter Fund. The raffle opened at 9 am on February 7 and will run through February 17 in what could be a record-setting pot.
Raffle purchases of $100 or more receive a six-month free subscription to Oilers+, $25 to River Cree Hotel and Casino, and a $25 Sports Bet with Play Alberta.
The #Oilers just beat a fellow Canadian team in Ottawa & will look to do the same on March 1 when Toronto comes to @RogersPlace! The holder of Mega 50/50 ticket B-105086401 will be there as the winner of today's first early-bird prize!
🎟 https://t.co/WOZNGhYVye pic.twitter.com/ML4La93aEA
— Oilers Foundation (@Oil_Foundation) February 11, 2023
“It is our mission to help children battling Glioblastoma and other brain cancers,” said Ben’s parents Mike and Lea Stelter. “Pediatric cancer research is grossly underfunded, and we want to help spark the change. We want to find better treatments and outcomes for these children battling such horrible diseases.
“Ben was given so many magical experiences during his battle which helped keep his smile and positive attitude, and we want to do the same for other children in the same fight.
“We want to help create the change and improvement of pediatric cancers and the treatments that these children go through. We are passionate about bringing children joy and meaningful experiences.”