ECHL Teams Raise $575,000 For Cancer Charities

By   Published on: Saturday March 29, 2008

PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced that its teams have combined to raise more than $575,000 for cancer awareness and prevention in 2007-08.

Twenty two of the 25 teams hosted a “Pink” event this season, up from eight teams in 2006-07 when almost $200,000 was raised. The promotions ranged from donations from ticket sales to recognition of cancer survivors to special jerseys, sticks and pucks and more.

“The ECHL and our member teams are proud to be involved in such a worthwhile cause,” said ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna. “It is our intention to continue our efforts to raise awareness and funds for cancer charities. I applaud the efforts of our teams in this regard.”

The Alaska Aces generated more than $103,000 with a two-day preseason “Paint the Rink Pink” promotion while the Texas Wildcatters generated a record $82,388 in a single day with their “Pink in the Rink” event.

Idaho raised a team record $27,641 with its jersey auction this season to bring its two-year total to almost $50,000 while Gwinnett set a team high with $56,625 this season.

Stockton has generated more than $70,000 and welcomed nearly 33,000 to the games for its two “Thunder Goes Pink” events while Fresno has raised more than $60,000 and had more than 25,000 attend their “Pink at the Rink” games the last two years. The Falcons were recognized and featured on the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation web site as well as being featured in the February 2008 issue of Fresno Magazine.

Charlotte has hosted “Pink” events each of the last two years and raised over $50,000 while Reading raised $35,000 with its inaugural event this season and Wheeling generated almost $10,000.

The Condors Fighting Cancer Hockey-Thon raised more than $56,000 to bring the four-year total for the event to more than $162,000 while the Phoenix RoadRunners have raised over $30,000 the last two years for Face-Off Against Kids Cancer.

The Cincinnati Cyclones were featured in USA Today when they became the first professional team to employ an all-female off-ice officiating crew for their “Pink in the Rink” game.

ECHL teams in 2006-07 donated over $2.8 million to charitable organizations and relief funds including more than $1.2 million in monetary donations.

The financial contributions are in addition to the thousands of appearances by players, coaches, team personnel and mascots at schools, hospitals, libraries and charity functions throughout the year. In 2005-06 and 2006-07 the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League and its teams raised more than $5 million for charitable organizations.