In the wake of the horrendous shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas that left 59 dead and more than 520 injured, the Vegas Golden Knights, the city’s only professional sports team, is stepping up as a beacon of light in such a dark time.

The NHL team, which kicks off its inaugural season Friday, announced that with the Foley Family Charitable Trust, they’ll donate $300,000 to the victims and first responders of the mass shooting.

 

 

Not only that, but players and staff have been out in the community offering hope and healing of different varieties.

According to NHL.com, 15 players visited Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters Tuesday to sign autographs and take pictures with officers, families and children.

“To be able to see these people smile after what they’ve been through the last few days, it’s all worth it,” defenseman Jon Merrill said. “You forget about the impact we’re able to have as athletes on people, to bring some distraction and smiles to people’s faces.”

With the way the team put hockey aside to uplift their new city, it’s clear the entire roster is full of leaders.

 

 

“It’s not something we have to do. It’s something we want to do,” defensemen Nate Schmidt told NHL.com. “We haven’t been here long but this is our town now. We’re part of the fabric here now. And we want to help. Whatever we can do, it’s small in comparison to the first responders and the people who helped each other on the scene, we want to do it. If we can provide a distraction and some hope – that’s what we want to do.”

Schmidt also wrote a piece for ESPN.com detailing how the team hopes to help heal the city.

“Do you know what is the beauty of sports? It lets people step outside their daily routine, their daily stresses — or in this case, their tragedy — and lets them be normal again,” he wrote. “When it comes to the home opener on Oct. 10, it’s going to be a bittersweet night. We will have first responders and people affected by this out with us. We will continue to do that as the year goes on. That will always be a reminder of what this city has gone through.”

The team plans to honor the victims of the shooting before their home opener against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.

Here’s a look at the team’s involvement the past couple of days.