CICERO, N.Y. -- "My parents have instilled in me since I was at a young age to always give back, to always be the best person I could be," said Alex Tuch, Vegas Golden Knights Forward.

It's a message Vegas Golden Knights star Alex Tuck never forgot. The Baldwinsville native gained national attention during the 2018 playoffs, scoring 15 goals, including one in the Stanley Cup Finals., but his mission goes far beyond the ice.

"I always tell people, I wasn’t put on this earth to just play hockey, I was put on this earth to use my abilities in hockey and use my celebrity status to change people's lives for the better," said Tuch.

In his young career, the 23-year-old has already partnered with dozens of charities in Central New York. This weekend, he'll support the Handicapped Children's organization in the Southern Tier.

His brother Luke is preparing for a run with the U.S. National Team. He isn't surprised by Alex's busy schedule.

"I think he loves it. He truly does. In Vegas, he did a lot of charity work and he loves coming back here and doing a lot of charity work because this is where he grew up and to give back to the place he loves most," said Luke Tuch.

For Alex, the importance of helping others was never more important than in the aftermath of the 2017 Vegas Shooting. Alex and some of his teammates had actually planned to attend the concert. In the months to follow, his team banded together, taking Vegas to the Stanley Cup finals.

"That brought hope to our city and I can really call it our city now because we were able to band together as a team and a city and have a really successful year and come out stronger than ever," said Tuch.

Tuch hopes his message of positivity will spread to the next generation of hockey hopefuls. Tuch will join gold medalist Amanda Beard for a meet and greet at Waterman's Distillery in Apalachin. The event is July 27 at 7:00 p.m.