The Chicago Wolves will wear specially designed Fight Against Cancer jerseys during their home games on Jan. 16, 17, and 31 at Allstate Arena to raise money for Chicago Wolves Charities and local cancer-related charities, each of which is devoted to making lives better for cancer fighters and their families.
With the exception of defenseman Brent Sopel, every Wolves player and coach will have their black Fight Against Cancer jersey available via auction and raffle from Jan. 16 through Jan. 31. SOPEL, who won the 2010 Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks and recently played in his 1,000th professional game, will wear a different jersey in each of the three games in order to maximize the benefit for the charities.
“You ask any individual in this world, they’ve been touched by cancer in some way,” SOPEL said. “Mother or father. Brother or sister. Aunt or uncle. It’s everywhere. When you put on this jersey, you think of every person that you know that has been touched by it and had to deal with it. Any way we can contribute and help raise money for research, we want to do it.”
Two SOPEL jerseys will be available via raffle and silent auction during the three games at Allstate Arena. To aid hockey fans outside of the Chicago area, his third jersey will be distributed during an online auction at ChicagoWolves.com that begins on Monday, Feb. 2, and closes at noon on Friday, Feb. 13.
Defenseman David Shields and forwards Philip McRae and Yannick Veilleux will join SOPEL in making their jerseys part of the in-game raffles. Tickets are $5 apiece or five for $20. Center Jeremy Welsh’s jersey will be available via blind auction.
Fans can bid on all of the other commemorative jerseys — including ones for head coach JOHN ANDERSON, general manager WENDELL YOUNG and executive senior vice president WAYNE MESSMER — during the silent auction that begins Jan. 16 in Allstate Arena’s Southeast Lobby and closes at the end of the second intermission on Jan. 31.
In conjunction with the auctions and raffles, the Wolves are conducting a Cancer Care Drive during their last three January home games. The team encourages fans to bring in gift cards for grocery stores, gas stations, or large stores such as Target and Walmart. Donations will be given to pediatric cancer patients via Imerman Angels, Bear Necessities and Little Heroes Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.
For additional information on the Fight Against Cancer fundraiser, please visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
