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Kings Hockey Fest will generate donations, pay tribute to two scouts who died in 9/11 attacks

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James

This year’s Los Angeles Kings Fan Fest will take place on Sunday, which marks the 10th anniversary of one of the darkest days in Kings - not to mention United States - history. Two Kings scouts named Garnet “Ace” Bailey and Mark Bavis boarded an aircraft that was supposed to take them to Los Angeles for training camp but instead ended up being the second of two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Former Kings general manager Dave Taylor called it the toughest day he’s had in the hockey business and maybe the toughest day he’s ever experienced overall.

After all those years, the team still honors the memories of those two scouts in many ways. Players wear decals on their helmets to pay tribute to Bailey and Bavis while portraits of both front office members are displayed in the Kings’ offices. The team named their mascot Bailey in honor of Garnet “Ace” Bailey.

This year’s Hockey Fan fest event will take place tomorrow, so it makes sense that the event will honor their memories and benefit charitable causes.

This year, the Kings will hold their annual Hockey Fest fan event on Sept. 11. Proceeds from an autographed-jersey auction will go to benefit the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firefighters Fund and the day will start with a tribute to Bailey and Bavis.

The Los Angeles Times provides some more details about the charitable work that is being done in honor of Bailey and Bavis.

Inspired by love, the Bavises and Baileys determined to honor their lost loved ones. The Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation provides mentoring and college scholarships to kids. The Ace Bailey Foundation renovated the neonatal intensive care unit at the Floating Hospital for Children at Boston’s Tufts Medical Center and brightened the environment for families of ailing kids. Diminishing donations nearly closed the foundation in 2008, but Pothier, its executive director, and Katherine Bailey felt their work wasn’t done.

You can visit the Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation here and the Ace Bailey Foundation by following this link. Bavis’ family is also pursuing a law suit against United Airlines, which you can read a little more about in this story.

While Sunday will bring back some painful memories for members of the Kings organization as well as people from around the world, it’s important to try to find ways to make positive things come from even the most negative moments. It seems like the Kings organization and the Bavis and Bailey families are doing their best to make that happen.

Here is a video tribute from the Kings.
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