When you first see Rachel Miller, a beautiful young brunette, you might not think “hockey girl.” But after just a few minutes of speaking with her, you can easily tell that her heart and soul belong to the ice.
In 2011, Miller formed the Philadelphia Honor, an all woman ice hockey team recognized by the United Women's Hockey League.
“I really want to change the face of women's hockey in the area,” said Miller.
So Miller set out with a goal, to organize a team that was about more than just hockey, a team that extended beyond the ice.
Miller’s plan came to fruition in the Philadelphia Honor, a women’s team focused on giving back to the community through philanthropy.
In August of 2011, Miller began to put her team together, with every member of the team wearing a special patch. Each patch contains the name of a loved one that the player wants to honor.
Next, Miller set out to find a worthy cause. She found Defending the Blue Line, a non-profit group that provides the families of deployed service members help for junior hockey related expenses.
“I saw their commercial on TV during several TV-timeouts of the hockey games on the NHL Network,” said Miller. “Knowing in my mind I wanted to make the Honor a team of charity and giving back to organizations, doing for others, etc., I decided to give them a call and see if they would be up for letting us hosting a charity event here [in Bucks County].”
Miller organized a 5K run at Warminster Community Park, held March 31, 2012.
In addition to the run, Miller also decided to create a Philadelphia Honor calendar, featuring different pictures of the team and its members each month. The calendar is for sale through Defending the Blue Line’s website a directly benefits the charity.
For Miller, giving back is a top priority.
“I have a big plans for the Philadelphia Honor and it is all focused on philanthropy,” said Miller.
“I think we are all here to do good for others and so why not always give back to the community and the military. If it wasn't for the troops, we would not have the freedom to get on the ice everyday.”
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