Nice Story re: Pens

[RW]

About a week ago, after Mario retired, the 8-year-old son of a friend sent Mario a letter. Not sure what the kid wrote, but I'm sure it was sweet. The kid's parents don't have season tickets or anything. They go to a few games here and there.

Anyway, a few days later, a package arrived in the mail. The Penguins sent the kid a box full of all of their promotional items from this season (e.g. the athletic bag, DVDs, etc.), a letter from the team, and a signed picture from Mario himself. The package alone cost $7 to ship, which says something about the volume of its contents!

The kid went out of his mind with excitement. It was all his parents could do to have him wait to take the Mario picture/autograph to school until after they got it framed.

I thought it was incredibly classy, and while I fear that publicizing this story might cause some opportunitists to take advantage of this knowledge, I just thought I'd let you all know about this great story.

It truly brightened my day. Go Pens!

[fourtKNOX]

thats awesome... this is why we need the pens in pittsburgh!

[Erin]

How sweet! Another reason to love the Pens!

[RedLightDistrict]

Be honest, how many of you have no written letters "from little Johnny"?

All kidding aside, that's fantastic. But knowing Mario, it doesn't come as a surprise. The man is all class.

[Judy]

A similar situation happened to me years ago when I wrote the Pens asking how to get tickets at discounted prices for families on fixed incomes that would like to attend, and for the public in general.

I received an autographed photo of Mr. Lemieux along with a detailed letter responding to my letter.

[abigFATAss]

Anyway, a few days later, a package arrived in the mail. The Penguins sent the kid a box full of all of their promotional items from this season (e.g. the athletic bag, DVDs, etc.), a letter from the team, and a signed picture from Mario himself. The package alone cost $7 to ship, which says something about the volume of its contents!

I think Mario and the Penguins are really good with that sort of stuff.

As a matter of fact, something like that happened to me.

I was in 4th grade when my teacher gave us an assignment to write a friendly letter to our idols. I wrote to Mario, of course. I enclosed a Topps trading card where Mario's holding the Stanley Cup and asked him to sign it for me.

No more than 6 months later, I got a letter back from Mario, with the card that was signed and put inside one of those plastic card protectors.

Doesn't surprise me that Mario and the Penguins are so good to their fans, from a public-relations standpoint.

[dagny]

I'm in California. My little brother did a paper on Mario for his final 6th grade report. After receiving an A, he sent it to the Pens, not expecting anything other than to share. Lo and behold his amazement, when the report came back, signed by none other than.... Mr. Lemieux. My brother has had that report hanging on his wall ever since.

[Ginger]

I think Mario and the Penguins are really good with that sort of stuff.

As a matter of fact, something like that happened to me.

I was in 4th grade when my teacher gave us an assignment to write a friendly letter to our idols. I wrote to Mario, of course. I enclosed a Topps trading card where Mario's holding the Stanley Cup and asked him to sign it for me.

No more than 6 months later, I got a letter back from Mario, with the card that was signed and put inside one of those plastic card protectors.

Doesn't surprise me that Mario and the Penguins are so good to their fans, from a public-relations standpoint.

They are very good at it! When I was in the hospital four years ago, a parcel came to my room from the Penguins organization. There were the Stanley Cup videos, the Mario highlights, the year book, a couple of commemorative coins, a cap, a big poster of the team & another of Mario signed. Plus a card saying they hoped I was better soon!

To this day I don't know how they knew I was in hospital.