Rivermen and PNC Bank Launched Goals for Great

The local hockey team and PNC Bank have partnered to donate funds for every goal scored at Carver Arena this season.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Philanthropy

Rivermen and PNC Bank Launched Goals for Great

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The Peoria Rivermen have entered a partnership with PNC Bank to support the Goals for Great program. For every goal the team scores at Carver Arena during the 2026-2027 season, the bank will donate $50 to Tazewell-Woodford Head Start.

Why it matters

This initiative aims to support local children and families by providing funding for regional educational programs through the professional hockey team's on-ice performance.

PNC Bank provides a $50 contribution for every goal the Rivermen score during home games at Carver Arena. Last year, the team scored 81 goals at the venue, resulting in a total donation of $4,100 to the Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center.

The players

Peoria Rivermen

The professional minor league hockey team is based in Peoria and plays its home games at Carver Arena.

PNC Bank

This financial institution provides banking services and manages the corporate philanthropic partnership for the program.

Tazewell-Woodford Head Start

This organization serves as the beneficiary of the current charitable program focused on early childhood education.

The details

The partnership directs financial resources toward early childhood education initiatives within the area. By linking corporate contributions to game performance, the program creates a direct pipeline between the team's scoring at home and local community support.

Timeline

  1. The program donated $4,100 to the Valeska Hinton center in 2025.

  2. The Goals for Great program is active for the 2026-2027 season.

Market Landscape

This partnership mirrors the 2025 Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center donation, continuing a sustained local model of corporate-backed athletic philanthropy. The collaboration highlights a broader industry trend where local franchises leverage on-ice metrics to drive community engagement and corporate social responsibility.

Community members and supporters of Tazewell-Woodford Head Start will benefit from the funds raised by the team throughout the 2026-2027 home game schedule. The initiative provides direct financial support to early childhood education programs in the Peoria area.

The takeaway

The program demonstrates how professional sports teams can serve as catalysts for educational funding in their home markets. Fans can track the team's scoring performance at Carver Arena throughout the season to monitor the growth of the charitable donation.

Further reading

For more information on local initiatives, see Philanthropy.

Source note: This article includes information reported by WMBD 31 Peoria.

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Do you believe corporate-sponsored team performance incentives effectively benefit local community programs?