“Puck Cancer” St. Baldrick's Fundraiser

Help Us Put Pediatric Cancer in the Penalty Box at “Puck Cancer” Fundraiser Jan. 9–10 in Suburban Chicago

A close-knit local hockey community in Vernon Hills, Ill., is checking children’s cancer into the boards with a two-day event to raise money for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which funds life-saving pediatric cancer research. The “Puck Cancer” event, hosted by The Ice Dogs Hockey Association, will feature 15 Ice Dog youth hockey teams playing exhibition matches, a wild coaches’ game and head-shaving of parents, players and coaches. All proceeds from the event will go toward St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has raised and funded over $369 million for children’s cancer research. Some 600-800 guests are expected to attend the two-day fundraiser.

Based at Glacier Ice Arena in Vernon Hills, The Ice Dogs is a Tier II youth travel hockey program in the Northern Illinois Hockey League focused on player development with a strong community and family focus. Its network of teams includes Mite Jr. Dogs, Squirt, Pee-Wee, Bantam, Midget and others for ages 8 to 18.

"The Puck Cancer event is an amazing opportunity for the Ice Dogs community to show their support and give back to kids in need,” said Michael Goldfine, Ice Dogs coach, former Ice Dogs player and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) cancer survivor. “As a pediatric cancer survivor, former player and now a coach of the Ice Dogs, it is an honor to do something for kids going through an experience similar to mine with the hockey organization that gave me so much support following my diagnosis. With events like this, St. Baldrick's and other pediatric cancer organizations can continue their amazing work of funding new research, supporting patients and caregivers, and providing hope for the future."  

Since the first St. Baldrick’s event in 2000, the 5-year survival rate for childhood cancer has risen from 79% to 85%, but cancer is still the #1 cause of death in children in the U.S. Over the past two decades, St. Baldrick’s head-shaving events in Chicago have raised more than $61.6 million for childhood cancer research.

Glacier Ice Arena is operated by the Nicholas Family of Companies’ Spectate Group, which also manages the firm’s 17-acre Nicholas Sportsplex in Mount Prospect, Ill., and the new Rosemont Ice Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

AGENDA

Friday, Jan. 9, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Key events:

• Youth hockey exhibition play, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Raffle 8:00 p.m.
• Coaches’ charity game 7:20 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 10, 8:00 a.m. to 11:05 p.m.

Key events:

• Head-shaving in the lobby to benefit St. Baldrick’s Foundation, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. by Sports Clips of Long Grove, and 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. by Beata Boches, an independent stylist and mom of an Ice Dog on Bantam AA
• Youth hockey exhibition play, 8:00 a.m. to 11:05 p.m.

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