NASHUA — Hockey players are hitting the ice for the fifth annual All Day Power Play this month.

Each year, about 60 players become men and women in motion for 24 hours with the goal of raising about $25,000 for the Nashua Children's Home.

The Cyclones Arena in Hudson donated the ice time from 9 a.m. on July 21 through 9 a.m. on July 22. The event will log its 100th hour on the ice this year and surpass $100,000 in fundraising.

“It's a big milestone for us,” said Paul Clark, one of the original organizers. “We're really proud of that and it's a motivation to keep going.”

The Nashua Children's Home provides care and support for children who are not able to remain with their families. The organization offers residential and educational programs, including special education programs, for children who have been struggling in public school settings. Its Transitional Living Program prepares young adults for independent living as they leave the system, usually around the age of 18. The organization can serve as many as 46 children.

Participants in the Power Play wanted to do more than skate once a year and donate a check. Before the event, players tour the Children's Home and meet the residents. That connection is what makes the fundraiser unique, said David Villiotti, executive director of the Nashua Children's home.

“It's a really great event,” Villiotti said.

Four teams play continuously on two rinks. Players wear reversible jerseys so they can join other teams as needed. Skaters spend at least 17 of 24 hours on the ice, taking a short break after every 60 to 90 minutes. About 70 percent of players make it to the end, and the number increases yearly, Clark said.

“What little we go through in 24 hours is nothing in the scope of what these kids go through,” Clark said.

Clark was aware of the Nashua Children's Home through his friend Mark Rowland, a therapist for the organization who was killed during a visit on behalf of the Children's Home. The fundraiser was a way for Clark to carry on Rowland's good work for a cause he felt strongly about. Rowland's name appears on the back of players' jerseys, along with the names of others chosen to be honored.

Clark and fellow founder Bill Dwyer approached Villiotti with the idea five years ago, backed by a fraternity of hockey players sharing a love of hockey and a desire to help. With assistance from organizers Dave Walsh and Eric Ouellette, the network came to life, recruiting players from southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts to raise money.

For Villiotti, the decision to move forward with the marathon was an easy one.

His organization relies on a mixture of grants and private funding at an economic time when donations are down and less public funding is available. The All Day Power Play has become his biggest fundraiser.

The marathon has become a family event over the years, with fathers, sons, daughters and siblings pitching in on and off the ice. Family members often stay late into the night to cheer players on.

“You couple the love of the game with the love of the kids and it's a win/win for everybody,” Clark said.

St. Joseph Hospital is sponsoring the event again this year.

For more information visit alldaypowerplay.net.

jhanson@newstote.com