Improving Safety in Our Community - www.ussteel.com
EMPOWERING PEOPLE
IMPROVING SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITY
U. S. Steel donated more than $61,000 in 2023 to several youth organizations in the communities surrounding our Minnesota Ore Operations facilities. Recipients included students in Hibbing, Mesabi East, and Rock Ridge school districts. The donation funded the purchase of specialized jerseys with added cut-resistant neck guards for 650 youth hockey players. Subsequent to the donation, USA Hockey has mandated the use of neck laceration protection starting August 1, 2024.

U. S. Steel’s donation came in the wake of the sudden death of Adam Johnson, a Hibbing High School graduate and former National Hockey League player with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Johnson died tragically in an on-ice accident in October 2023 in England, when a skate blade contacted his unprotected neck. The $80 to $200 price tag for neck protection can be a barrier for many youth players who face high costs for other, non-optional equipment.
Photo Credit: Mark Sauer/Mesabi Tribune.