By USPHL Staff
On May 4, 2023 The Dan K Show awarded two scholarships to athletes from the United States Premier Hockey League. The Most-Watched Show in Junior Hockey, launched two $1,000 Scholarships, The Dan K Show Scholarship and The Jerry and Lorie Wilhite Scholarship; awarded to players that exemplified great academic, personal, and professional growth during their Junior Hockey playing careers.The Dan K Show Scholarship was awarded to Duncan Rolleman from the Florida Eels. Duncan’s academic success mirrors his success on the ice, showing that “student” and “athlete” are equally important parts for any player looking to play at the NCAA and ACHA level.
The Jerry and Lorie Wilhite Scholarship was awarded to Francesco Cecchetto from the Pueblo Bulls. Francesco’s hockey story is one of belief and hard work, and when speaking to his coaches about his abilities, they had nothing but high praise for a skater who is extremely dedicated to the game of hockey, as well as a top-notch education.
In February of 2023, on the first day of the Dan K Show’s 19-day road trip to five events in five different cities, all of the broadcasting and media gear that the Dan K Show had with them was stolen out of their rental car. For any small business, having the tools needed to make a living can be especially hard. Dan and Lucas took the advice of some of those closest to them and started a GoFundMe, with the goal of offsetting a small part of the thousands needed to buy this equipment in one day so that the road trip could continue. However, thanks to the outpouring of support from the hockey community, Dan and Lucas were not only able to raise enough money to replace all of their equipment, but also to launch a scholarship program to help hockey players pay for college and other expenses.
“It was probably the hardest day that we had to face,” recalls Lucas. “But that would turn into something awesome, not just because we could replace equipment, but because we could give back to a community which has already given us so much.”
The Dan K Show was able to set up two scholarships with their extra funds, with one of those scholarships supported entirely by Jerry and Lorie Wilhite of the Pueblo Bulls, first a Premier team and now one of the original members of the NCDC West. After receiving over two dozen applications, Dan and Lucas selected two players to be the inaugural recipients of The Dan K Show and Jerry and Lorie Wilhite Scholarships.
Congratulations to the recipients! For more information about The Dan K Show, head to www.Dankshow.com, or follow Dan and Lucas on Social Media @The_DanKShow
