SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken is honoring those doing remarkable work in the community through its Heroes of the Deep program.
“We thought, how do we take the great work that's being done in this community and really spotlight a person in an organization for a night?” said Todd Humphrey, Kraken SVP of digital and fan experience. “So, it was born out of the idea of we have heroes amongst us in our community, and how do we really bring those to light."
Heroes of the Deep was started in the 2022-23 season by the Kraken's One Roof Foundation. Since the program launched, more than 80 heroes have been honored, and $2.7 million has been awarded to nonprofit organizations.
Humphrey said the heroes are inspiring individuals or groups who are making a difference.
"It is a hard choice because there are so many people doing great work, but it starts with a submission process, and we work them all the way through," Humphrey said.
Midway through the first period of every home game, the Kraken announces that game’s hero. The arena goes house black, Pearl Jam blasts through the speakers and there's a spotlight on the hero of the deep. The hero is given a giant cardboard check for $32,000, and the grant goes to a nonprofit of their choosing. For many small nonprofits, the $32,000 makes a real difference.
"Most of our heroes don't do it for the recognition,” Humphrey said. “So when they find out that this is gonna be their experience, they're blown away."
The $32,000 award is a nod to the 32,00 ticket deposits that convinced the NHL to award Seattle a hockey franchise.
"I love that we are so connected with the community, and I take great pride in a lot of the things that we do on the ice and off the ice,” Humphrey said. “This is probably my most prideful piece of it because it does allow us to honor people who are doing work quietly and in the shadows in the best of ways."
The money for Heroes of the Deep comes from Samantha Holloway, David Bonderman and other members of the Kraken ownership group.
Heroes, which could be a person or an organization, can be nominated on the One Roof Foundation website.
"The goals here are to hear from more people in Seattle and in the Pacific Northwest,” Humphrey said. “Who are these people who are the organizations? They're your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers."