By Chasta Piatakovas
October is an important time in a hockey fans’ life. It symbolizes the start of the much anticipated regular season, but also a time to remember families affected by cancer.
Celebrated in October, the NHL and NHLPA founded Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month to bring the hockey community together to fight cancer, a disease that greatly affects the hockey family including firsthand current players Jason Blake, Phil Kessel, Saku Koivu, and retired player Mario Lemiuex. Matt Bradley and Shaone Morrisonn lost their mothers to cancer.
I know all to well the toll cancer takes on a family. Breast cancer took the lives of my grandmother and great aunt, and has left the women in our family distressed and fearful that one day we too will be diagnosed with the devastating disease.
In this league-wide initiative to fight all cancers, players’ helmets will be adorned with Hockey Fights Cancer decal (lavender, the official color for cancer awareness) throughout October, and coaches and other team personnel will sport commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer ties.
Last year the Capitals raised nearly $30,000 through their Hockey Fights Cancer Month initiatives to benefit the Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure and Hockey Fights Cancer. This year, the Caps will host a player-worn autographed practice jersey auction on during the home games on Oct. 17 and 27 to benefit ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer.
Become involved in the efforts to fight cancer, and help those affected by cancer