Crunch goalie’s saves raise more than $9,000 for Helio Health

Brandon Halverson’s stops for the Syracuse Crunch became something more than a line in a box score: they helped raise more than $9,000 for Helio Health and its alcohol and drug recovery services in Central New York.

The fundraiser, called Halvy’s Saves for Recovery, tied a dollar donation to each save Halverson made and invited fans to add their own support. When the Crunch first announced the program on Jan. 30, 2026, Halverson had already made 476 saves that season. By the end of the year, he had passed 1,000 saves, helping push the total past the $9,000 mark.

Halverson said he wanted to give back to the Syracuse community after the death of his brother, Justin, in January 2023. Helio Health President and CEO Kathleen Gaffney-Babb said the organization was “incredibly grateful” for the support and praised Halverson for turning personal loss into action that helps individuals and families across the region.

That support matters in Onondaga County, where public health officials continue to track opioid harms closely. The county health department says opioid-related deaths have increased since 2012, and fentanyl has become a larger factor in those deaths over time. New York State also tracks county-level opioid deaths, emergency department visits and hospitalizations, underscoring the pressure on recovery providers that work with people facing substance use disorders.

Helio Health serves Central New York, the Finger Lakes, the Southern Tier, the Mohawk Valley and the Capital Region. The organization says it provides treatment, counseling, family support, crisis services and housing-related supports, so even a relatively modest fundraiser can help underwrite services that people use every day, from first contact to ongoing recovery support.

The program also added to a season already marked by recognition for Halverson. The Crunch later said he was the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for the 2025-26 season, which made him one of 32 finalists for the American Hockey League’s Yanick Dupré Memorial Award.

For Syracuse, the result was more than a feel-good moment at the rink. It was a local sports stat turned into practical help for a recovery provider that many families in Onondaga County know by name.