The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) plan to jumpstart the new year by teaming up to fight cancer. The NHL and NHLPA have designated January as Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month and will unveil League-wide initiatives designed to raise money and awareness for cancer research. The NHL and NHLPA will make significant donations to North American cancer organizations, complementing Member Club efforts, including ticket donations to local Children's Hospitals and other fund-raising support. This marks the second year that the NHL and NHLPA have identified January as Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month, emphasizing hockey's most important fight. Two key components of Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month are the Hockey Fights Cancer Patch Games and the 2004 Hockey Fights Cancer On-Line Charity Auction. In games to be played between January 9 and 11, all NHL team captains will wear a special team jersey featuring a Hockey Fights Cancer commemorative patch to underscore his team's pledge to fight cancer. After the games, each captain will autograph his game-worn jersey and donate it to the Hockey Fights Cancer On-Line Charity Auction. All proceeds benefit cancer organizations in North America. Starting January 20, fans may preview the 2004 Hockey Fights Cancer On-Line Charity Auction, a one-of-a-kind on-line auction that features authentic NHL merchandise and once-in-a-lifetime NHL experiences. Over the past four years, this auction has raised more than $1.3 million during the NHL's annual All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the collection of Hockey Fights Cancer Patch jerseys has garnered significant dollars, totaling $300,000 in the past three years alone. In addition to the Hockey Fights Cancer Patch jerseys, the 2004 Hockey Fights Cancer On-Line Charity Auction will showcase more than 150 unique items, including signed memorabilia and the Hockey Fights Cancer Legends Goalie Masks donated by ITECH, which features signed and specially-designed masks that pay tribute to recently-retired, Stanley Cup-winning goaltenders Tom Barrasso, Grant Fuhr, Mike Richter, Patrick Roy, and Mike Vernon. For the first time, the auction also will include six-foot-tall bobblehead statues manufactured by Forever Collectibles, which feature the colors and logos of 30 NHL teams, the Eastern Conference, Western Conference, All-Star Game and the NHL. Fans may preview items starting January 20 by logging on to HockeyFightsCancerAuction.com. Actual bidding begins on January 30 and closes February 9. Bidding on the life-size bobblehead statues begins February 3 and closes February 10. Fans may view the bobblehead statues in person during NHL All-Star Week in Minnesota when they visit NHL All-Star FANtasy, an interactive hockey and entertainment theme park that will be held at the Saint Paul RiverCentre from February 3-7. More detailed information on the Hockey Fights Cancer On-Line Charity Auction will be released mid-January. Hockey Fights Cancer is a joint charitable initiative between the NHL and National Hockey League Players' Association, which has raised more than $6.5 million for cancer research since its inception in 1998. As part of the initiative, players also are committed to Hockey's All-Star Kids, a partnership with Children's Hospitals in North America, which facilitates interaction between NHL players and young patients afflicted with cancer and other childhood illnesses. Through the program, NHL players spend considerable time visiting Children's Hospitals and fund-raising on their behalf. Players and teams also invite Children's Hospitals patients to take part in the game-night experience by providing them with tickets to games, opportunities to ride on the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine, and opportunities to serve as stick boy or girl for the night. For more information on Hockey Fights Cancer Month and all of the initiatives designed to raise money and awareness for cancer research, fans may log on to NHL.com.
