Former New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter Promotes Offshore Wind Power on LI

Mike Richter

Mike Richter Promotes Offshore Wind Power on Long Island

 

The Sierra Club launched new radio ads on major stations across Long Island featuring the former New York Rangers goalie Mike Richter calling on Governor Cuomo and LIPA to lead the way with a commitment to offshore wind power. The ads will run for two weeks ahead of LIPA’s December 17th Board meeting where they’re expected to announce the winners of new renewable energy contracts. If they choose offshore wind, it will bring hundreds of new jobs and millions in economic growth to Long Island.

“This issue is important to me because New York has an opportunity to be a national leader. Governor Cuomo and LIPA could make a commitment this month to build one of the nation’s first-ever offshore wind projects off the coast of Long Island. We can’t afford to miss this shot at a healthier, more prosperous future for New York with offshore wind power,” said Richter.

“Whether you’re an environmentalist or not, most people think that it’s about the trees and the birds and the fish, but it’s about humans. It’s about our health, our quality of life.”

In 2010, Richter launched Athletes for a Healthy Planet (A4HP), which aims to promote “better understanding of the relationship between the health of the planet and our health, economy, jobs, national security, social justice, and quality of life.”

Sierra Club Radio Ad for Long Island Offshore Wind Power

The A4HP TEAM

Mike Richter, former NHL goalie, who helped lead the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup and the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team to a silver medal, is a founder of A4HP. Climate change hit home for Mike when he realized the frozen hockey ponds of his childhood had disappeared. Sports born in the outdoors now are played indoors. “No one has a greater stake in a cleaner, healthier planet than athletes,” says Mike. Our team now includes tennis greats Billie Jean King and John McEnroe, Olympic medalists Connie Carpenter and Angela Ruggiero, NHL icon Mark Messier, Professional Race Car Drive Leilani Münter, and more.

Former New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter

Former New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter promotes Offshore Wind Power on Long Island

New York Sports Heroes

The GREAT Mike Richter former New York Rangers Goalie #35, is one of my all-time sports heroes. He played goalie like an offensive position instead of the typical defensive mind set. He brought a poise and intensity to the position and game. As for myself when I played Varsity Soccer I was chosen and forced to play defense “not by my choosing,” but because I played defense like an offensive position and shutdown the opponents best strikers. As a Full-back (LB, FB) & Center-back/center-half/central defender (CB) you must be strong, fearless, and good at timing tackles and having an advantage to win the ball in the air, an essential skill in corner kick situations. With that said I always admired Richter’s offensive/defensive play.

Two other New York sport legends on the Athletes for a Healthy Planet team is tennis great and bad-ass John McEnroe and NHL icon Mark Messier, whom I both met at the 1994 MTV Video Music Award – After Party in Bryant Park. Mind you this was right after the New York Rangers had just won the glorious Stanley Cup back in 1994. So their these two guys were somewhat unrecognizable in their nice casual clothes because McEnroe was not wearing his old-school sweatband and Messier was not in a Rangers jersey. Their they were right in front of me and I was quite stunned to see them hanging together, and I was like “thanks Mark” and McEnroe was like “for what” and I said “come on.” I shook both their hands and said “it was an honor and a pleasure to meet you guys” and thanks for being such kick-ass athletes.

So with that said it is super cool to see these great New York Sports Heroes stepping it up with fellow athletes dedicated to finding breakthroughs for a cleaner, healthier planet.

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