NY Islanders Host Baby Shower Celebrating 25 Military Moms

Twenty-five military mothers and mothers-to-be walked into the UBS Club at UBS Arena on Wednesday, March 12, and found a room draped in blue and orange, stacked with gifts, and filled with people who had shown up specifically for them.

The New York Islanders Children's Foundation and Operation Shower co-hosted the hockey-themed baby shower, bringing together women who are either active-duty service members or partners of deployed personnel from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the New York National Guard, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Ryan, LLC, the Islanders' official tax advisory partner, helped support the event.

"We are proud to host this special baby shower for military moms-to-be, honoring their incredible strength and sacrifice," said Ann Rina, Executive Director of Community Relations for the Islanders. "It's a privilege to celebrate these women and welcome their little ones into the family with love and support."

Each attendee received Operation Shower's signature Shower In a Box, customized with premium products donated by the New York Islanders, Ryan Tax, Joie Baby, Diaper Genie, Delta Children, AngelCare, Skip Hop, Blue Star Families, and Stella & Dot. The gift haul also included hand-crocheted puppets of Sparky the mascot, Islanders onesies, Fisher-Price playsets, nursing pillows, shoes, all-in-one bottle sterilizers and dryers, and bath-time essentials. The Islanders Wives Group distributed additional raffle gifts alongside the signature boxes while guests shared a catered lunch.

Shannon Hogan, the Islanders' pregame and postgame studio host on MSG Networks, served as emcee, joined by Islanders in-game hosts Sofia Davis and Andrew "Syke" Sykora from WBLI. Sparky made an appearance, and Cheryl Lindeman of Operation Shower addressed the group directly, telling the moms it was important they know they are not alone.

That message landed. Asji Pelzer, an expecting Army recruiter who made the trip from Pennsylvania, struggled to hold back tears. "Getting here was a little hectic, but it's worth it, honestly," she said. "I'm trying not to cry. Everyone seems so nice, and then just giving is just really sweet."

Among those present was Marine Rony Avila and his wife Angye from Staten Island, who attended with their two-month-old son Caelum. Another attendee, a mom of four who gave only her first name, Ryan, described the afternoon plainly: "It is the most beautiful shower in the United States." Ryan had been on the receiving end of a similar event years earlier, when the Islanders supported her family while her Coast Guard husband was deployed. She has since been involved in making the shower happen for others, underscoring one of Operation Shower's central effects: it generates volunteers and advocates out of the families it serves.

Operation Shower has been traveling the country since 2007 and has provided baby showers to more than 10,000 military moms nationwide. The partnership with the Islanders Children's Foundation reflects a consistent organizational priority: reaching military families stationed far from their own support networks. As Lindeman noted to the room, many of the women had relocated for their assignments and did not have family nearby, making the communal nature of the event as meaningful as any item in the gift boxes.