Stop at a bank machine on your way to the Canada Games Arena tonight. Itâ??s for a great cause.
The Grande Prairie Storm host the Camrose Kodiaks in Alberta Junior Hockey League action tonight and if youâ??re wondering which team is which, hereâ??s a hint: Just think pink!
The Storm will be donning bright pink uniforms for the game, just one part of the annual Brekkaas Vacuum & Tank Shoot For A Cure Cancer Society fundraiser.
â??We are turning the rink pink,â? said Storm past-president Lionel Jones at Thursdayâ??s press conference. â??Over the past six years, we have surpassed the $60,000 mark in funds raised for this great cancer fundraiser. This year, with the communityâ??s help, we should be well over the $70,000 mark.â?
There will be numerous different ways for fans to participate in the fundraising evening.
First and foremost, the jerseys the players will wear for the game will be auctioned off by way of silent auction, during the game itself.
Winning bids will be announced near the end of the game and the winners will be brought out onto the ice at the conclusion of the contest, where they will be presented with their jersey, by the player.
WestJet is also back as a sponsor of the event, with a Frisbee toss to take place in the second intermission. Frisbees can be bought on the foyer level and from sellers who will be cruising the stands during the first two periods. After 40 minutes, the discs will be thrown onto the ice and whichever one lands closest to the predetermined mark will win a trip for two anywhere in WestJetâ??s world.
â??Most families experience some negative effects from cancer and this is a great opportunity for them to be involved and make a positive difference,â? said Jones.
Brekkaas Vacuum & Tank has been the title sponsor of the fundraiser ever since its inception, with good reason.
â??We became involved because I am a cancer survivor now going on 10 years,â? Christine Brekkaas said at the press conference. â??Itâ??s something that is close to my heart and I have lived with and experienced and it would be nice to put an end to this horrible disease. A lot of us have wives, sisters, daughters that go through this. I had it myself but it affected my whole family. Everybody was affected by what I was going through. To raise money and awareness and put a stop to this would be a wonderful thing.â?
Storm coach and general manager Blaine Bablitz said that this fundraiser is not taken lightly by anyone on the team.
â??We all feel very fortunate to be a part of this fundraiser,â? he said. â??As young men, they all have women that play important roles in their lives, from their mothers to their sisters, friends, or colleagues. At some point we are all going to be affected (by breast cancer). So using our sport and our hockey team and (working with) the community to raise money… is a comforting factor for us â?? the players and the staff.
â??Tomorrow night, we will be a very excited hockey team. We will represent the Storm proudly… raise some money for a great cause and hopefully one day help find a cure for this disease that affects so many people.â?