Flyers’ Garnet Hathaway continues his charitable work, participates in The Ben to The Shore Bike Tour

On Sunday, Hathaway and his wife, Lindsay, presented a check for $30,000 to Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation, who hosted its 38th annual The Ben to The Shore Bike Tour on Sunday.

Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway (center) and his wife Lindsay participated in the 38th annual Ben to The Shore Bike Tour on Sunday.Read moreThomas E. Briglia / For The Inquirer

by Jackie Spiegel

Published July 21, 2025, 6:04 p.m. ET

ATLANTIC CITY — Garnet Hathaway let out a laugh and a broad smile when asked the question: “When was the last time you rode a bike?”

In actuality, it hadn’t been that long. No, he hasn’t been perfecting his Wingate test, like the draft prospects at the scouting combine. The Flyers forward and his wife, Lindsay, recently started pedaling around their neighborhood with their kids.

It’s a good thing, because on Sunday, the duo joined more than 2,100 riders for the 38th annual The Ben to The Shore Bike Tour.

Under a blazing sun, with temperatures reaching into the 90s, the charity bike ride, hosted by Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation, stretched 65 miles from the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philly to Atlantic City. Riders could opt for shorter distances of 30 miles, beginning in Hammonton, and 10 miles, starting in Galloway.

Regardless of the mileage, it was all for a good cause. The ride raised “money to provide necessary financial relief to the families of fallen or critically injured first responders; to cultivate positive interactions and relationships between first responders and the communities they serve; and to provide mental and emotional well-being resources to first responders and their families.”

The nonprofit, incorporated in 2007 and based in Conshohocken, has three pillars: providing financial relief to the families of fallen and critically injured first responders; a positive nonenforcement action to bring officers and children together; and Check Your Six, a mental health and emotional well-being program.

The event on Sunday raised over $1.1 million — and counting.

“It was amazing for us to, just personally, be a part of it, to be able to experience this community that the Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation has brought together,” Hathaway said.

“The support for the first responders, families of first responders, and I think having that outreach of the community come together and just show the appreciation we have for them, and raising money to really help any aspect or trouble that they’re going through, while risking their lives to protect us. It was just really special to be here.”

The Hathaways have been involved with Behind the Badge since arriving in Philly, continuing the work they started when they founded Hath’s Heroes in 2019 while he played for the Washington Capitals. Garnet has provided tickets to local first responders and met with them after the game for the past two seasons.

“When you see people riding in memory of someone, they have a name or a picture on their jersey, that hits home so much more than just maybe hearing about it. … I rode with two widows, and just being able to talk to them, learn about their lives, learn about their children, learn about them, make connections,“ said Lindsay Hathaway.

Hathaway rode with Dr. Alexandra Conforti and Mackenzie Santucci. Conforti’s husband, Pennsylvania State Trooper Peter K. Conforti, and Santucci’s fiancée, Mansfield Township Police Officer Sam Irvin, died unexpectedly in 2024 and 2023, respectively, each leaving behind a child.

“It was so special to spend that time where you’re just on a bike and you’re talking, you’re trying to pass the time,” Lindsay added. “It was a really, really great way to learn more about these women and the men that they lost.”

But the Hathaways were not at the event just to get some exercise. They also donated money.

In October, the couple announced a partnership with Flyers Charities to launch Hits for Hath’s Heroes. For every hit the Flyers recorded this past season — they had 1,727 — the Hathaways pledged to donate money with a match from Flyers Charities. And fans were also able to pledge and donate.

The result was the Hathaways handing over a check for $30,000 to the Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation.

“Having someone like Garnet involved is really a big plus for us obviously, because Garnet, he’s a professional athlete, and you know, Philadelphia loves the Philadelphia Flyers,” said Bob White, the foundation’s president. “He’s a tough guy, but he’s a smart guy, and him and his wife, they’re just good people, just like us. Very easy to talk to, and they just want to do good things. They feel like they’ve been successful, and they just want to pay it back.”

The Hathaways, who were awarded the foundation’s 2024 Andy Chan Community Spirit Award in December, will continue to work with the organization this season.

“When you get to the finish line, you see friends and families in support of someone who has lost a loved one, and then you see the Wall of Heroes, and you see family members, loved ones take photos in front of the pictures in a day of remembrance and just that acknowledgment of what their lives meant and how much support they have around them,” said Garnet Hathaway, who was the Flyers’ King Clancy nominee and Alumni Community Leadership Award winner this season for his charity work.

“ … I think that, from an outsider’s perspective, seeing that experience is motivation for — you might be able to ride even more. But it’s such a well-put-together event that I think highlights first responders and their families and how much good can come when you get a group together to support people."

Ramping up under Tocchet

Participating in Sunday’s event was also a day off for Hathaway’s busy training schedule. The Flyers right winger is preparing for his first season under new head coach Rick Tocchet, with whom he spoke in-person back in May at the Flyers Training Center.

“I sat down with him for a few minutes and got a sense of how he coaches, how he sees a team. And I think just a nice first introduction. Obviously, I played against teams that he’s coached, and he’s coached against me as a player, so I’m looking forward to a lot more conversations,” said Hathaway, who is pumped to work with Todd Reirden, his former head coach with the Capitals who was hired as an assistant coach to run the defense and penalty kill.

“[Tocchet] brought the team together on a call and spoke a little bit about how he likes to coach. What he asks of his players and how he sees our team in what strides we want to make and hope to make. So I’ve had great conversations. I’m really excited. I think also are a lot of the guys I talked to.”

Hathaway didn’t divulge too much of what was said on the call, but did say he got a sense he “understands the personnel in the room, has a great understanding of what he can do to get us to where he thinks we can be,” and has a “coaching style that I think will bring everyone to their best potential.”

The Flyers’ locker room is a tight-knit group that has experienced some change since the season ended. Forward Christian Dvorak, defensemen Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert, and goalie Dan Vladař signed as free agents, and general manager Danny Brière traded for Trevor Zegras at the end of June.

“You watch him, you play against him, and you wonder how he keeps it on the string. almost so effortlessly,” Hathaway said of Zegras, adding that he’ll miss playing with Ryan Poehling, who was sent the other way to Anaheim.

“I think [Zegras is] going to be a big addition to our team. We’ll see who he plays with and the chemistry he gets with linemates. But I’m excited about it. I’m probably like all the fans, too. It’s about time we get on the ice and kind of ramp it up.”