Hockey Fights Cancer Night. Tonight October 20th.

For the 14th consecutive year the NHL and NHLPA will mobilize the hockey community in it’s fight against cancer during Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month in October.  This season’s month long initiative couples the league and the players association to partner with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Prostate Cancer Canada, Zero- The Project To End Prostate Cancer  and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to raise funds and awareness for this cause.  Both organizations (NHL & NHLPA) hope to distribute more than $200,000 in grants to these four organizations and look to increase the $1.1 million that was raised last year.  Hockey Fights Cancer will also donate $5,000 to each NHL city to support local organizations in their market.

Each NHL city will also hold a Hockey Fights Cancer night at a designated home game, and tonight is the designated night for the Florida Panthers.  Here’s a list of typical events that can be seen throughout the different NHL cities:

"Events will include on-ice presentations, 50/50 raffles, promotional giveaways, contests and discount ticket offers. Arena suites and tickets will be donated to children’s hospitals and cancer-affiliated programs, and young patients will be involved with in-game opportunities – including rides on the ice resurfacer, puck-drops and player meet-and-greets. There also will be on-line, live and silent auctions of signed items including helmets, sticks, jerseys and other team merchandise. Several clubs will continue to promote awareness by participating in local hospital visits and fundraising runs and walks."

Fans are also encouraged to donate to the cause via mobile phones by texting HFC to 90999 to make a $5.00 U.S. Donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Canadian residents can donate by texting HFC to 45678 to make a $5.00 Canadian donation to the Canadian Chapter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. A one-time charge of $5 U.S. or CDN will be added to the donor’s mobile phone bill. Message and data rates may apply. For full terms visit www.mGive.org/T or mobilegiving.ca.

Lavender which represents the color for all cancers returns this year as the color for the initiative and will be worn by the Hockey community throughout the month of October.  In honor of tonight being the Florida Panthers night to honor the fight, I’ll be wearing my Lavender Hockey Fights Cancer tie today.  The tie and other merchandise can be purchased by going to Shop.NHL.com.

As always thank you for reading.  We welcome your comments.

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