The month of October is an important one for the Chicago Wolves and it goes beyond the opening of the 31st season in franchise history.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which shines a light on one of the Wolves’ top charitable initiatives each year.
Since 2009, the Wolves have worked with A Silver Lining Foundation to raise money for people who cannot afford breast health testing to receive mammograms and diagnostic care as well as access to breast cancer surgery and treatment.
“What the Wolves provide with funding to A Silver Lining Foundation is the continued commitment to the issue of access to cost-free breast health testing for an increasing number of individuals who would go without,” Dr. Sandy Goldberg, Founder and CEO of A Silver Lining Foundation, said. “If early stage breast cancer is diagnosed, which statistically will happen in someone who can get a test and not have to wait, 97-plus percent will go on to live their life the way they would live their life without an early stage diagnosis. So that’s extremely important.”
Throughout the years, the Wolves have directly funded breast health testing of nearly 1,700 women while also helping shine a light on breast cancer awareness.
This season, the Wolves encourage players, coaches, front office staff and fans to wear pink during three October home games, including their 2024-25 American Hockey League season opener on Oct. 12 as well as games on Oct. 26 and Oct. 29 at Allstate Arena.
The Wolves will also donate the proceeds from their Stick It to Breast Cancer Survivor Stick program to A Silver Lining Foundation. For $175 dollars, the cost of a mammogram for someone who cannot afford one, fans can purchase a stick of the Wolves player of their choice, who will write the name of the fan’s survivor on his stick for the Oct. 26 game against the Milwaukee Admirals at Allstate Arena. After the game, the fan will meet the player and be presented with the stick. Two tickets to the Wolves’ game on Oct. 26 are included.
“The sale of those sticks ease and save lives,” Goldberg said. “All the funds raised go directly to our breast health testing program—every single dime. Those dollars translate into mammograms that not only can help detect breast cancer in women but also ease the impact on the people around them, their friends and family.”
A Silver Lining Foundation works with 17 partner hospitals that treat individuals who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Goldberg said “there’s always work to be done” in the fight against the disease.
“Certainly, raising awareness and educating people are necessities,” Goldberg said. “It’s making people not only aware what breast cancer is but there are things you can do to lower your risk. You can’t prevent it, but you can lower your risk.
From an education standpoint, there is the dispelling the myths,” she continued. “There are lot of myths around breast cancer. The most important thing to bear in mind when you go in to get a test is that we’re trying to rule out that you don’t have breast cancer. But if you do have breast cancer, at a Silver Lining Foundation we fund screening mammograms and all the diagnostic testing if needed because an anomaly is identified. We fund complete up the food chain, through biopsy. If an individual is diagnosed, our partner hospitals will get them into a funded program for free.”
During the season, the Wolves also will sell Breast Cancer Awareness Mystery Pucks, supported by Hooters, for $10. The pucks feature an autograph from a Wolves player with proceeds benefitting A Silver Lining Foundation and Chicago Wolves Charities, driven by Kia.
“Every woman and man should be entitled to access to cost-free breast health testing,” Goldberg said. “The Wolves open the door to access to testing. It’s like a rock rolling down the hill—that door is open.”
For ticket information to Wolves games for the 2024-25 season, call 1-800-THE-WOLVES or visit www.chicagowolves.com.