Monsters on a Mission

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Two of the Cleveland Monsters’ very own are taking time off the ice to immerse themselves in the community of Cleveland.

Center Brendan Gaunce and defenseman Dillon Simpson are both passionate to give back for different reasons.

“People look past Cleveland a little bit,” Gaunce said. “It’s a little different spot because it’s not near other AHL teams. There just seems like there is a sense of community and we wanted to be a part of that.”

Gaunce is a dog lover which made deciding to team up with the Cleveland Animal Protective League an easy decision.

“We decided on Points for Paws which is a charity based on just giving back and helping the lives of the animals before transitioning back to homes,” the center added.

Simpson, the Monsters team captain, has been volunteering for years dating back to his time in college.

His initiative ‘Simmer’s Sidekicks’ with the Monsters highlights athletes from Special Olympics Ohio.

“Every Saturday home game, we have an athlete come here with their family and have them come down and say hello,” Simpson explained. “It was hard to get the ball rolling during COVID, but I’m happy to do it.”

The Monsters’ leaders doing their part to give back to a deserving city.

The team is back in action on February 22nd at 7 p.m. against the Utica Comets.

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