09/12/2026
For those who may be new followers, or for those who have been following me and might be living under a rock, my passion outside of real estate has always been hockey.
Over the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with these vets and supporting the events they put on. Tonight will be my third time volunteering as an official for one of their games.
I’d love to be playing, but tonight is about something much bigger than hockey. It is about honoring those who served, those who answered the call, those who sacrificed, and those we will never forget.
Thank you to our veterans and first responders. Now let’s play some hockey. 🇺🇸🏒
Tickets are still available for tonight!
The last official I want to introduce is a guy who is always asking Paul and myself if there’s any special games or events coming up that he can help with. He’s a solid guy always willing to go the extra mile for his teammates, Joe Engle. When I talked with Joe about his 9/11 memories, he had this to say…
On 9/11, I was living in Los Angeles and was a sophomore in high school. My mom woke me up crying and completely at a loss for words. She pulled me out of bed and took me to the TV.
At that age, I did not fully understand the magnitude of what was happening. I really did not know anything about the Twin Towers, and at first I thought my parents were being a little dramatic. Once I got to school that day, that changed very quickly.
Every class revolved around watching the nonstop news coverage. There were no real lessons or discussions. I do not even remember many conversations between us as students. We all just watched in horror and silence.
That was when it really hit me that we were watching a life changing moment and that things were never going to be the same.
I will never forget the week that followed either. Even in Los Angeles, of all places, it felt like every house, business and car suddenly had an American flag on it. American flags were everywhere. For that week, politics did not matter. Our differences did not matter. We were all Americans, and everyone seemed united behind the same country.
I have tremendous respect and gratitude for the service members, police officers, firefighters, first responders and everyone else who stepped forward after 9/11. I especially remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice that day, as well as those who sacrificed their lives in the years that followed.
Thank you Joe!
