American Cancer Society and the National Hockey League Team Up to "Stick It" to Cancer

American Cancer Society
Wednesday, 12 March 2003

With two of its players -- Saku Koivu of the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux -- surviving well-publicized battles with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in recent years, the National Hockey League (NHL) understands first-hand the impact of cancer and the importance of supporting innovations that will one day lead to a cure.

That's why the American Cancer Society and the NHL have again joined forces to "stick it" to cancer. The NHL, through its Hockey Fights Cancer program, made a $150,000 charitable gift to the Society that will fund cancer research.

"The hockey community has closely experienced the fear, the pain, and the loss that cancer can cause," said Ken Martin, Director of Community and Diversity Programming for the NHL. "But through it all, our players have learned the benefits: passion, hope and commitment. That's the spirit behind good hockey, and it's the same set of values we share with the American Cancer Society to beat this disease."

The NHL presented the Hockey Fights Cancer donation to the Society during the recent NHL All-Star Saturday activities, February 1 at the Office Depot Center in Sunrise, Fla.

"The American Cancer Society thanks the NHL for this generous gift," said David M. Zacks, the Society's National Chairman of the Board. "Programs such as the NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer allow us to continue to make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer, working toward the goal of one day finding a cure."

During the entire month of January, all 30 NHL Member Clubs teamed up to raise money and awareness for cancer research through Hockey Fights Cancer. The league-wide initiative also emphasized efforts relative to Hockey's All-Star Kids, an extension of Hockey Fights Cancer, which links the hockey community with the youngest victims of cancer and other childhood illnesses through a partnership with Children's Hospitals in North America. NHL teams will hosted a series of Hockey's All-Star Kids Awareness Nights throughout January.

Hockey Fights Cancer is a joint initiative founded in December 1998 by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association to raise money and awareness for hockey's most important fight. Hockey Fights Cancer is supported by NHL Member Clubs, NHL Alumni, the NHL Officials' Association, Professional Hockey Trainers and Equipment Managers, corporate marketing partners, broadcast partners and fans throughout North America. To date, Hockey Fights Cancer has raised more than $6 million to support cancer research. One of the charity's largest fund-raising initiatives is the annual Hockey Fights Cancer On-Line Charity Auction, which has raised more than $1 million over the past three years.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org