Hockey

Hurricanes' Jaccob Slavin, wife Kylie raise $1 million to 'Fight for Freedom' with IJM

By Kevin Mercer Feb 29, 2024
The Slavin family (Photo courtesy of Instagram/@jslavin74)

Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin has been an anchor on the Hurricanes’ blue line for nearly nine seasons now, contributing 258 career regular-season points (and counting) while spearheading a defense that has finished in the NHL’s top four each of the past three seasons.

The 29-year-old assistant captain from Erie, Colorado, is part of a core group of players who’ve led the franchise into the playoffs for five consecutive seasons (after failing to qualify in the previous nine). Currently in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division with 74 points, Slavin and his teammates have their sights set on the playoffs yet again.

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But even more important than Slavin’s impact on the ice is the impact he’s having off of it. He and his wife, Kylie, are working to end human trafficking with the Fight for Freedom Campaign.

Back in November 2023, Jaccob announced in a video posted to his Instagram and X accounts that “this year, [Kylie and I] are partnering with International Justice Mission in hopes of raising $1 million.”

By coming alongside local justice systems around the world, IJM is one of the largest organizations dedicated to putting a stop to human trafficking in all its forms. As Jaccob and Kylie learned more about the great work being done at IJM, they wanted to get involved.

They sensed a special calling to combat the growing problem of the online exploitation of children in the Philippines. According to a recent study by IJM, nearly half a million Filipino children were subject to online exploitation in 2022 alone.

“That is why we decided to start the Fight for Freedom Campaign,” Kylie said in the video. “In this campaign, we are hoping to raise $1 million by way of a matching grant, meaning that, up to $500,000, we will personally match every dollar.”

Jaccob added, “The money raised in this campaign will specifically go towards fighting against the online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines.”

Last week, the Slavins posted an update on X and Instagram about the Fight for Freedom, joyously announcing the success of the campaign with their daughter, Emerson, whom the couple adopted in the spring of 2019.

“We’ve officially met our goal of raising $1 million for the International Justice Mission,” Kylie said, “so thank you so much to everybody who has been involved so far.”

Jaccob and Kylie stressed in the video that, although their lofty goal has been met and Fight for Freedom has been a success, the online exploitation of children in the Philippines is still a problem and their campaign is far from over.

“We’re actually gonna have one more event at the end of the regular season, and it’s gonna be a huge celebration event, and we can’t wait to have you guys there,” Jaccob said. “Thank you so much for joining in this fight with us, and it’s not done yet.”

The Slavins have leveraged their influence as an NHL couple for good, and their ambitious philanthropic goal garnered widespread support from teammates, Hurricanes fans and fellow professional athletes alike.

Jaccob’s and Kylie’s generosity and concern for the suffering of others is rooted ultimately in Jesus’ call to “love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

“I think I always knew before I came into the league, like, ‘OK, this is where God has me and this is the platform He’s given me,'” Jaccob said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in September 2022. “‘These are the abilities He’s given me, so I want to use those first and foremost for His glory.'”

He writes AGTG — an acronym for “All Glory to God” — in many of his social media posts, and lists that along with the Bible verse Galatians 1:10 in his social media bios. Both he and Kylie have spoken about Christ’s life-transforming power as part of Sports Spectrum’s “I Once Was” video series.

“I know God loves me, I know God’s approved of me, I know I’m His servant,” Jaccob said on the podcast. “… He wants my heart in the right spot and He wants me just to serve Him and to glorify Him.”

Jaccob and Kylie are doing just that with the Fight for Freedom Campaign as they use their time, talent and money to glorify God by caring for the people He’s made. To learn more and partner with them, click here.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<

RELATED STORIES:
– WATCH: ‘I ONCE WAS’ – NHL defenseman Jaccob Slavin
– WATCH: ‘I ONCE WAS’ – NHL wife Kylie Slavin
– SS PODCAST: Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin on identity, fatherhood, adoption
– MAGAZINE: Carolina Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin Is Truly At Home
– SS PODCAST: Former SB champion Mark Herzlich on serving with IJM

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