The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is pleased to announce the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation as the recipient of the 2019 Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). The Penguins Foundation is part of the education working group with FBI Pittsburgh’s Heroin Outreach Prevention and Education initiative or HOPE. The working group, which includes other corporate and government partners, made a free prescription drug abuse prevention program available to area high schools. The series of six interactive modules educates students on opioids, depressants and stimulants, as well as the appropriate use for each drug. It also teaches intervention skills.

The foundation also provided a VIP Pittsburgh Penguins game experience to hundreds of students who created public service announcement videos about the opioid epidemic and the importance of keeping families and communities safe. In addition, the foundation worked with the Pittsburgh chapter of the Citizens Academy Alumni Association to provide incentives and grants to more than 100 area school districts and teachers.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation has done extraordinary work in the community to help educate our youth on the dangers of opioids,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. “The Heroin Outreach Prevention and Education or HOPE program teaches students to think differently. The work students put into their videos allows them to teach and inform their peers about the dangers associated with this epidemic. Through our partnership with the Penguins Foundation on this important program, we have the ability to reach more people and work together to stop this dangerous epidemic.”

“The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and Penguins organization are honored to receive this prestigious award for our community efforts in 2019,” said Dave Soltesz, President of the Penguins Foundation. “The Penguins take extreme pride in creating impactful and meaningful off-ice efforts, which wouldn’t happen without the support from our fans, staff, senior executives, players, and coaches. This community-first mindset has continued through the organization’s efforts to lessen the burden of the COVID-19 crisis.”

The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their extraordinary contributions to the prevention of crime and violence in the community. Every year, FBI field offices around the country select a community partner to receive the award. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office recognized Wasiullah Mohamed. A volunteer advocate for racial and social justice in the Pittsburgh region, Mohamed was instrumental in rallying the local Muslim community after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. 

For media inquiries please call (412) 432-4291 or e-mail cpolicicchio@fbi.gov.