Ben Stelter Foundation reportedly raises more than $10,000 in donations from Dallas

The Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars may currently be duking it out in the Western Conference Final, but their fans are forming new connections and looking out for each other off the ice.

In a heartwarming development, the Ben Stelter Foundation in Edmonton has raised more than $10,000 in donations from hockey fans and other benefactors based in Dallas since the start of the West Final.

The wave of donations follows a mix-up by the Stars’ in-arena DJ after their Game 2 win over the Oilers on Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The Stars played “La Bamba,” the Oilers’ long-standing win song with a deep-seated connection to both the late Ben Stelter and Joey Moss, during their post-win celebration; Stars music director “DJ Shippy” later apologized and donated to the Stelter Foundation, while encouraging fans to do the same.

630 CHED radio host Courtney Theriault shared an update on the outpouring of support from Stars fans on Monday afternoon, shortly before the Oilers and Stars hit the ice at Rogers Place for Game 3 of their series.

“Wow, hearing from Ben Stelter Foundation that Dallas-related donations have surpassed $10k,” Theriault tweeted. “I imagine Ben would be so thrilled to see how a little misunderstanding could lead to such an outpouring of generosity in his name to help other kids.”

Ben Stelter passed away in 2022 at age six after a courageous public battle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. Monday would’ve been his eighth birthday. His father, Mike, is currently fighting his own bout with cancer — in his case, a sarcoma that formed on his spine.

The Stelter Foundation was formed in late 2022 with the goals of providing “magical experiences” for kids with cancer, helping provide at-home medical equipment for families, and funding research to fight the disease. On its first day in operation, the Foundation received a $100,000 donation from Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

With Dallas now leading the series two games to one, the Oilers and Stars will return to action for Game 4 of the Western Conference Final at Rogers Place on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. MT.