By: Conor McPherson
Since their 1970 inception, the Admirals have called Milwaukee home. Over the decades, the team has built a connection with the local community, and its Community Partner Program offers another way to give back.
Jon Greenberg, now in his 22nd year as president of the Admirals, has seen the program grow since its founding over a decade ago. The program connects corporate partners with local charities, turning moments on the ice into financial support for the community.
“We created this program really to help get more of our partners involved with what we’re doing in the local community,” Greenberg said.
The Community Partner Program was originally conceived to connect the Admirals with companies looking to support charitable causes rather than traditional sponsorships. Through the program, corporate partners select nonprofit beneficiaries and tie donations to the Admirals’ on-ice performance.
“The easiest way to do it was to create statistical categories,” Greenberg said. “You can do it for every save, for every goal, for every power play, to raise money for nonprofits in our community.”
Last season, the Admirals raised over $125,000 through their partner companies and their respective charities.
Through the Admirals Power Play Foundation, the team also matches the total raised over the season, doubling the impact on the local community.
The program has grown from three partners in its inaugural season to 12 this season, and Greenberg estimates it has raised more than $2 million since its commencement.
“One of the missions we have as an organization is to give back to the community that gives so much to us,” Greenberg said.
One of those partners is WM (Waste Management). For every successful penalty kill this season, WM has pledged to donate $25 to Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful (KGMB), supporting the organization’s environmental education and community programming.
The partnership came together in fall 2025, when WM connected KGMB with the Admirals Power Play Foundation to help expand the organization’s impact throughout the greater Milwaukee area.
Zoe Jump, executive director at KGMB, recognized the value of KGMB’s community programming and what a partnership with WM and the Admirals could bring to their work.
“Every penalty kill helps support KGMB’s work to create cleaner, healthier neighborhoods and provide environmental education opportunities for Milwaukee-area youth,” Jump said.
Last season, the Admirals allowed just 36 power-play goals and recorded an 85.8% penalty-kill rate, good for second in the AHL. With $500 already saved, the Admirals are finding another way to give back to the community directly through their on-ice performances.
“It’s a great example of how sports can bring people together around a shared goal and make a difference beyond the game itself,” Jump said.
Hydrite is another partner using the Admirals’ on-ice performance to support a local cause. This season marks Hydrite’s first year in the program. The company will donate $1,000 to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin for every Admirals shorthanded goal.
Julia Danes, who discussed the partnership on behalf of Hydrite, said the company wanted to expand its reach within eastern Wisconsin.
“It’s not just for what Hydrite can do in the community, but it’s what everyone can do in the community,” Danes said.
The partnership aims to raise money to address food insecurity while encouraging fans to learn more about how they can help in their own communities. By tying donations to shorthanded goals, Hydrite is giving fans another reason to follow the action while supporting a cause beyond hockey.
As the Admirals score shorthanded goals on the ice, Hydrite and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin help ensure nobody falls short when it comes to putting food on the table.
Danes said the company hopes to raise as much money as possible while increasing awareness of food insecurity, an issue that affects communities beyond Milwaukee.
As the players take the ice each night, Greenberg watches with a new source of motivation fueling his already die-hard Admirals fandom.
“Trust me, when I see a guy make a great save, it does pop in my head,” Greenberg said. “So, okay, that’s two bucks, and, you know, the power-play goals obviously are very exciting.”
Greenberg said the program’s impact becomes especially clear at the end of the season, when the Admirals bring corporate partners and nonprofit beneficiaries together for check presentations. The organizations also receive blocks of tickets, giving people who might not otherwise attend a game the opportunity to watch the team.
For the Admirals, the program provides another way to support the community that has supported the team for decades, with every save, penalty kill and shorthanded goal offering a chance to make a difference beyond the scoreboard.
Click here to see a list of all community partners and funds raised through the Milwaukee Admirals Community Partner Program.
Conor is a journalism intern with the Admirals and can be reached at conor.mcpherson@icloud.com
