Sam Tageson, the Inspirational Super Fan for the San Jose Sharks, Receives an Upper Deck Rookie Card!

Make-A-Wish® recipient Sam Tageson was presented with his very own Upper Deck hockey card at a charity event in San Jose!

CARLSBAD, Ca. (June 10, 2014) – The San Jose Sharks provided hockey fans with one of the most memorable moments of the season when they signed super fan, Sam Tageson, to a one-day deal with the team. Make-A-Wish® Greater Bay Area and the Sharks Foundation worked in unison to make this dream come true for Sam Tageson, who suffers from hypoplastic left heart syndrome and was told he should never ride a bike, let alone play hockey. Fans fought back tears as they watched Sam skate out of the Shark Head, an honor that until now has been reserved only for San Jose Sharks players. Sam was announced along with the rest of the team roster and a larger than life headshot of Sam was shown on the Jumbotron for all to see.

While that moment was extremely special for Sam, it couldn’t last forever, or at least not until Upper Deck got involved. Upper Deck presented Sam at a charity event at Stevens Creek Sports Cards recently, with his very own Upper Deck Rookie card featuring Tageson adjacent to the famous San Jose Shark Head. Tageson was also surprised when San Jose Sharks defenseman Jason Demers and San Jose Sharks Radio play-by-play announcer Dan Rusanowsky showed up at the unveiling and were first in line to have Sam sign his new cards. memorable event was captured on video and can be seen on YouTube.

“I came to get your autograph,” said Jason Demers to Sam Tageson. After the card was unveiled, Demers said, “Oh wow, that’s awesome. That’s better than my card!”

The event provided Sam with the opportunity to give back to the charities that gave such an amazing opportunity to him. Sam signed items for fans, with all the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish® and the Sharks Foundation. Several thousand dollars were raised at the event and with more coming in as fans donate to these organizations in order to obtain one of Tageson’s Upper Deck Rookie cards.

“This whole experience feels like a dream I don’t want to wake up from,” said Sam Tageson. “To arrive and see over a hundred people waiting in line for my autograph was an unbelievable feeling. And now knowing people will be able to actually find my rookie card in regular packs of Upper Deck hockey cards is an incredible thrill.”

Upper Deck will be inserting a limited amount of Sam’s Upper Deck rookie cards in the company’s 2014-15 NHL® MVP set which is scheduled to release in early August.

“Sam’s story was a natural fit for Upper Deck’s ‘Heroic Inspirations’ campaign, which leverages the power of the Upper Deck brand by helping build awareness and support for sports-related charity organizations,” said Jason Masherah, president of Upper Deck. “We are happy to help shine a light on Sam’s story while providing fans with a very special collectible commemorating this incredible hockey moment.”

About Upper Deck

Upper Deck, headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., is a worldwide sports and entertainment company built on the pillars of quality craftsmanship, authenticity and innovation with a dedication to creating products that turn memorable moments into collectibles. Upper Deck revolutionized the sports trading card experience with anti-counterfeit holograms, high quality card stock and stunning photography in its inaugural 1989 baseball set, and since then its mission has been to capture the excitement of the game and deliver it to fans of all ages. The cornerstone of Upper Deck’s business, which opened in 1989, is based on sports trading cards. As its brand has evolved to include other products over the years, the company now creates exclusive memorabilia, gaming products, collectible cards and a wide array of sports trading cards.

Find more information at www.upperdeck.com, www.UpperDeckBlog.com or follow us on Facebook (UpperDeck), Twitter (@UpperDeckSports), and YouTube (udvids).

About Make-A-Wish® Greater Bay Area

Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. In 2014 Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area celebrates 30 years fulfilling magical wishes. During its first year of operation, in 1984, the chapter granted 27 wishes. Now one of the largest chapters nationwide, the Greater Bay Area grants over 300 wishes per year and has granted over 6,000 wishes to date. The chapter covers 17 Northern California counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Marin, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Solano and Sonoma. The goal of Make-A-Wish is to grant a wish to every eligible child in its territory. Anyone can suggest a child for a wish. For more information or to refer a child for a wish, please call 415/982-9474 or visit www.SF.Wish.org

About the Sharks Foundation

The Sharks Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the lives of youth and families in our community with an emphasis in the areas of Education, Health and Safety, and Character Development. The Sharks Foundation supplies emergency aid when appropriate, executes unique and relevant programming, supports the advancement of youth hockey and provides financial support and resources to organizations that enrich the lives of those in need.

For more information on the Sharks Foundation, please visit sharks.nhl.com