Braden & Brandi Holtby’s “Get Off The Bench for Racial Equality” Auction Raises $39,400

Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby and wife Brandi launched the “Get Off the Bench for Racial Equality” auction benefitting Black Lives Matter DC and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The auction closed at noon on Friday and raised a total of $39,400 that will be split between the two organizations.

The Holtbys donated an initial $5,000 to each organization and the auction raised $14,700 with that sum matched by the couple.

Select items in the auction included a custom autographed piece of wood artwork featuring a silhouette of Holtby over his jersey number, an autographed Holtby jersey, autographed Holtby puck, and additional signed items by Capitals players.

“We’re obviously behind as a sport,” Holtby said last Friday, regarding the league’s lack of speaking out about social and racial issues. He doesn’t know why more hockey players won’t speak up, adding, “It’s kind of taboo to speak your mind or speak up for what you believe in.”

Coming from a small town in Canada, Holtby never really faced these issues we’re dealing with today. Living in Washington has been eye-opening for Holtby as far as racial and social injustice. He wanted to educate himself after following along the news about the death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests.

“I know there are definitely some things that I think are extremely morally humanly wrong that I would never support,” he said about the law enforcement’s response to D.C. protests.

From the Capitals

The ‘Get Off the Bench for Racial Equality’ auction launched by Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby and wife Brandi to benefit Black Lives Matter DC and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights raised $39,400 to be split between the two organizations.

The auction raised $14,700, with that sum matched by the Holtbys. In addition, the Holtbys launched the auction with an initial $5,000 donation to each organization, for the total of $39,400.

Black Lives Matter DC is a member-based abolitionist organization centering black people most at risk for state violence in DC, creating the conditions for Black Liberation through the abolition of systems and institutions of white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy and colonialism. The organization is dedicated to promoting strategies that empower the most oppressed black people. For more information, visit https://www.blacklivesmatterdmv.org/.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations and 100 staff to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. As a leader in the fight for democracy, justice, inclusion, and opportunity, The Leadership Conference works towards building an America as good as its ideals. They recently led more than 430 civil rights organizations to call on congressional leadership to swiftly rectify the legacy of anti-black racism that has led to police violence against Black people across our country. A New Era of Public Safety, a groundbreaking report and toolkit from The Leadership Conference’s policing campaign, is a widely lauded resource and blueprint to build trust between communities and police departments. The Leadership Conference holds lawmakers accountable for transforming police accountability by pushing legislation that invests in community solutions that provide economic opportunity, education, health care, and alternative responses. The Leadership Conference is a frequent partner and consultant to professional sports organizations, including the NBA and WNBA, organizing forums and community engagement for its players, leadership, and fans. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.