Upper Deck Unveils New Heroic Inspirations Tribute Card for Sydney Wood at the 2019 Fall Sport Card Expo

The family of inspirational youth from Hamilton receives the posthumous honour and makes these special cards available as a gift with donation

CARLSBAD, Ca. (November 16, 2019) – Upper Deck has a huge presence at the 2019 Fall Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo where the company will be promoting new trading cards and memorabilia releases. On Saturday morning, November 16, Upper Deck will focus instead on paying tribute to a local athlete whose life was cut tragically short at the age of just 11-years when she passed away from a brain tumor. Since her passing in 2012; her family has worked to keep her memory alive by launching the Sydney Wood Purple Butterfly of Hope Foundation. Her family will be on-hand on Saturday morning for the unveiling of Sydney Wood’s very own Heroic Inspirations trading card from Upper Deck.

The Heroic Inspirations card Upper Deck created shows Sydney playing one of the sports she loved most; basketball. On the card back is copy about the youngster received directly from the family and information about the charity. These cards will be available as a gift with donation at the Upper Deck booth on Saturday and Sunday of the event.

“Typically our focus at these collectibles shows is to promote new Upper Deck trading releases, but giving back is extremely important to this company,” said Chris Carlin; Upper Deck’s senior manager of customer experience. “As we’ve been working with the family over the last few months on this project, it’s clear they are focused on the admirable goals of the charity, but also that they are still affected by Sydney’s loss. I think it is worthwhile to pause for a moment at a show like this and just focus on this card for Sydney Wood. Once you know her story, I can’t think of a parent who wouldn’t want to share this card with their children to show them what a real hero looks like and how important it is to live every moment to the fullest as Sydney did.”

“Sue and I are beyond thankful that Sydney was chosen for this honour,” said Greg Wood, Sydney’s father. “We are forever grateful to Upper Deck for not only choosing to immortalize our baby, but to be able to share her story with the world about what an inspirational young lady she is and will always be.”

Trading cards always held a special place in the Wood family’s dynamic as Greg and Sydney collected cards together.

“We know Sydney would be smiling her beautiful smile from ear to ear if she saw this card,” continued Wood. She started collecting cards with me at a young age and she loved finding her favorite players from the local teams in packs. Her dream was to play in the WNBA and have her own card someday. She would think being on her very own Upper Deck card is the coolest thing ever!”

Fans interested in scoring one of these Sydney Wood Heroic Inspirations cards simply need to visit the Upper Deck booth at the 2019 Fall Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo at the 2019 Fall Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo this weekend. Fans who are not in the area can also reach out to the charity to obtain one of these cards through their contact page: sydneywood.ca/contact-us/

Upper Deck’s Heroic Inspirations program has helped create awareness and funds for charities all over North America since the program began in 2013.

About Upper Deck

The Upper Deck Company 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. Find more information at www.upperdeck.com, www.UpperDeckBlog.com or follow us on Facebook (UDAuthenticated), Instagram (UpperDeckSports), Twitter (@UpperDeckSports), and YouTube (udvids).

About The Sydney Wood Purple Butterfly of Hope Foundation

The Sydney Wood Purple Butterfly of Hope Foundation is committed to helping families and individuals in memory of Sydney’s generous and vibrant spirit. For more information on the Sydney Wood Purple Butterfly of Hope Foundation, please visit: sydneywood.ca