HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Bears are uniting the Central Pennsylvania hockey community in the battle against cancer as the team hosts Hockey Fights Cancer Night this Saturday.
In the contest against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7 pm, the team will be wearing lavender-themed jerseys that will be auctioned post-game with a portion of the sales donated to local charity organizations through its Hershey Bears Cares Initiative.
It’s a night all about uniting the hockey community to support cancer patients and the friends and family who are affected along with those who lost their battle.
"It's amazing how strong people are when they're going through this along with family members too," said Bryan Helmer, Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Hershey Bears. "It's about the community, and it's about the people that are fighting this disease. It's going to be an emotional night but to see them come and enjoy the game and have a smile on their face is pretty nice."
"A lot of our players have been affected," said Kathleen McGraw, the Hershey Bears Community Relations Managing Director. "Whether it's their families, whether it's themselves, their parents, they understand that it's not just about a hockey game, it's about so much more."
It's an initiative the Bears have participated in in conjunction with the National Hockey League since 2018.
"The NHL does it, and most of the teams in the American Hockey League do it," said Helmer. "For us, we're glad to do it. This disease touches everyone in some way."
The team will also be handing out Hockey Fights Cancer rally towels, 'I fight for' signs, will hold a 'Moment of Fight' during the game and will offer resources to those who attend. The game will also be televised on Antenna TV, FOX43.2, with coverage starting at 7 p.m.
