Jaehwa Bernardo

(From left) Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, stars of the hit LGBTQ+ sports romance series 'Heated Rivalry.' Photo from Storrie's Instagram account

Article (news)

PH animal rescue gets donation named after 'Heated Rivalry' characters

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176759353393720260105 (8).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>(From left) Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, stars of the hit LGBTQ+ sports romance series &#x27;Heated Rivalry.&#x27; Photo from Storrie&#x27;s Instagram account</div>An online certificate of donation to a Batangas-based animal rescue organization has recently gained attention after the contribution was made under the names of the lead characters from the hit sports romance series &quot;Heated Rivalry.&quot;Strays Worth Saving (SWS) posted on Facebook a certificate of donation on Dec. 27 thanking Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov for contributing P2,481 to the group.Hollander and Rozanov are the lead characters in &quot;Heated Rivalry,&quot; an LGBTQ+ romance series originally released on the Canadian platform Crave and recently picked up by HBO Max.The six-part series, based on a book series by Rachel Reid, follows rival hockey players Hollander and Rozanov, whose rivalry masks a secret relationship.The series, which has gained popularity online, stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, propelling the actors to wider recognition.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/12/29/review-heated-rivalry-is-breakout-queer-romance-with-steam-heart-1303">REVIEW: &#x27;Heated Rivalry&#x27; is breakout queer romance with steam, heart </a></div>The donation is also notable for its amount, which seems to correspond to the players&#x27; jersey numbers: 24 for Hollander and 81 for Rozanov.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstraysworthsaving%2Fposts%2Fpfbid016px33jRzM3hQ4WHxrsAAspAt56JTcayjKqyNgbywVDEe16BpDyutQt3cCkHpoDzl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="386" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>As of writing, SWS&#x27;s post has received over 5,000 reactions, around 1,000 shares and hundreds of comments.The group describes itself as &quot;dedicated to rescuing and helping stray dogs and cats, especially those in pain,&quot; according to its Facebook page.&quot;Kala ko magkalaban yan bat donate donate nalang sila ngayon?&quot; one Facebook user said in jest in the comments.(I thought those two were rivals but why are they making donations together now?)Other comments referenced the charity that Hollander and Rozanov planned to put up towards the end of the first season.&quot;Mahal namin kayo Hollanov!!!&quot; another Facebook user said, referring to the name of the characters&#x27; romantic pairing.(We love you Hollanov!!!)While SWS did not state the actual identities of the donors, it is increasingly common for fans — whether of celebrities or, as in this case, TV shows — to support advocacy groups or charitable causes using the names of their favorite stars or fictional characters.In December, &quot;Heated Rivalry&quot; was renewed for a second season, according to reports.

An online certificate of donation to a Batangas-based animal rescue organization has recently gained attention after the contribution was made under the names of the lead characters from the hit sports romance series 'Heated Rivalry.'

An online certificate of donation to a Batangas-based animal rescue organization has recently gained attention after the contribution was made under the names of the lead characters from the hit sports romance series 'Heated Rivalry.'