Call it Black Girl Hockey Club Magic.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba.
When Black Girl Hockey Club founder Renee Hess heard that Kalei Forga, a 12-year-old hockey player from Forest Lake, Minnesota, set up a GoFundMe page to raise $3,700 to play on a World Selects Invitational team that’s competing in France for 10 days in April, she spread the word on BGHC’s Twitter account hoping that followers would kick in a few bucks for the cause.
A surprise follower stepped up Friday with $500 and encouraging words for Kalei: Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba.
“Go Kalei! I had a similar opportunity when I was younger and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of a lot of good people in my community and the sacrifices made by my parents!” Dumba said in a tweet Friday. “Tear it up over there!”
A @mnwild defenseman and dozens of strangers helped 12-year-old Forest Lake hockey player Kalei Forga reach her dream Friday, reports @DavidMcCoyWCCO. | https://t.co/NqEMGoV4ln pic.twitter.com/nyRirhYmdP
— WCCO – CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) January 5, 2019
Dumba, who was leading National Hockey League defensemen in goals before he had surgery last month to repair a ruptured pectoralis muscle, told Minnesota’s WCCO-TV Friday that “I was so happy to take advantage of the opportunity I saw this morning and I definitely wanted her to go on her trip.”
Kalei, who plays for the Forest Lake Rangers Under-12 team, was thrilled by Dumba’s gesture.
Go Kalei! I had a similar opportunity when I was younger and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of a lot of good people in my community and the sacrifices made by my parents! Tear it up over there! https://t.co/xcBzIDqAAC
— Matt Dumba (@matt_dumba) January 4, 2019
“It feels special to me that he took the time to write that to me and donate the money – it makes me happy,” she told Minnesota’s WCCO-TV.
Michelle Forga, Kalei’s mom, was shocked.
“When Matt Dumba did it, I was like, ‘Is that THE Matt Dumba? Like the real Matt Dumba? That can’t be,'” she told WCCO-TV. “And then I saw it on Twitter.”
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU @BlackGirlHockey!! For caring and taking the time to feature my daughter and linking to our GoFundMe page. You ladies are Angels 😇 and we will be forever grateful for all that you’ve done for Kalei and our family 🙏 😁👏🏾 https://t.co/3UbtAHRzJc
— Michelle Forga (@michelle4ga) January 4, 2019
As for Hess, she’s elated to record an assist to Dumba’s assist in helping Kalei reach her goal.
“Pretty damn awesome!” she told me in a text.
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