Aleksander Barkov, captain of the Florida Panthers, has made a significant seven-figure donation to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. This new contribution is in addition to his regular annual donations to the hospital.
Barkov has maintained a relationship with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital since 2019. After scoring a hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens that year, he was awarded $1,000 through an NHL sponsorship to donate to a charity of his choice. Following advice from his agent Todd Diamond, Barkov selected Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
“As I learned about this amazing place, I decided I wanted to be part of it,” Barkov said.
The following season, Barkov launched the #BarkovScores4JoeD campaign. Through this initiative, he donates $1,600 for every goal and $800 for every assist he records during the season. To date, these efforts have raised over $550,000 for the hospital. Additionally, Barkov provides a suite at every Panthers home game for hospital staff and patients.
“This community has given so much to (me) and you’re so fortunate that you get to play hockey for the Florida Panthers,” Barkov said. “It’s such an amazing organization and community. With that, I felt like it would be awesome to give something back. Every year there’s been a little progress. Where it is right now, it’s a huge step forward.”
Thanks in part to Barkov’s donations, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is launching the “Barkov Sports Medicine” program. The program aims to improve concussion protocols and injury prevention measures as well as expand nutrition programs for patients under 18 years old. It will also help support sports teams at the hospital designed for children with disabilities.
“It’s great,” said Barkov. “This place (South Florida) is my home now. Like I said in my speech, I was drafted here in 2013. If you told me that 13 years later this would happen here, I’d never believe you. I’m very honored and thankful.”
Kelley Morris of Memorial Healthcare System & Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundations highlighted Barkov’s commitment beyond financial contributions: “We shed tear all the time when Sasha is here,” Morris said. “He comes here very quietly. He never asks for recognition. He really understands what we do here and how important his name and his presence are here.”
During his recent visit marked by a celebration with patients and staff members, Barkov watched a thank-you video from patients which moved him emotionally.
“Very emotional,” Barkov said after watching the video tribute from patients at the hospital. “I get those photos [from patients] here and there from the games, from the suite. But a video like that, all the speeches they did for me, it just touched me. I got very emotional there. It was really nice to hear. I’m very thankful.”
Barkov sees himself as both supporter and teammate of young patients at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
“To come here and see what they have to go through and try to in some way encourage them, and then they obviously encourage me to be better — a better athlete, better human being — with their fight and how they fight,” he said.
As he recovers from offseason surgery while aiming to return to play for the Panthers following their consecutive Stanley Cup wins, Barkov credits encouragement from young patients as motivation during rehabilitation.
“They’re some of my heroes,” Barkov said.
