“I fight for a cure.” HFC
Colorado Avalanche players and the organization itself are very active in doing charitable works. Come this time of year, everything turns purple for the Avs as they join in on the initiative Hockey Fights Cancer.
Background of Hockey Fights Cancer
Hockey Fights Cancer is an initiative dating back to December 1998, and started by the NHL Players Association in conjunction with the National Hockey League. The purpose is to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer.
According to NHL.com, the initiative has raised over $14 million in support of local and national cancer charities. Research institutions, player charities, local organizations and children’s hospitals all benefit from Hockey Fights Cancer’s efforts.
Hockey Fights Cancer Activities
Hockey Fights Cancer has already been going on since October 20, which is why everything has gone purple in the hockey world. The awareness goes on for a month, in this case until November 17.
During this time, some players make videos if they someone they know has had to fight cancer. For instance, Avalanche winger Alex Tanguay talked about the struggle his mother-in-law faced when she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Other activities often include having cancer survivors participate in game-day activities.
One of the biggest events is that all 30 NHL markets designate a game as Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night. During that time the teams sell commemorative merchandise. The Philadelphia Flyers hosted the first game for 2014’s month when they played the Anaheim Ducks on October 14.
Colorado Avalanche and Hockey Fights Cancer
The Avs have organized a host of activities for the awareness month. They kicked it off on October 23 with their Break the Ice skating clinic during which pediatric cancer patients and their siblings got to skate around with forwards Matt Duchene and Alex Tanguay. The weekend of October 25 to 26, the Pepsi Center hosted skates during which cancer survivors and patients got to skate around on the ice.
The Avalanche’s Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night is the November 6 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. At that game the Grand Atrium lights will be lavender, and limited edition HFC merchandise will be on sale. The Avs will also present a check for $5,000 to the Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation. The Avalanche Youth Skater will be 8-year-old Laird Krodel Smith, a cancer survivor.
The coaching staff and Avalanche broadcasters will wear the lavender HFC neckties during the game. The players have been wearing a decal on their helmets, and they will warm up in lavender jerseys. Those jerseys will go up for auction to further raise funds for the initiative.