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Date: 3/2/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The “Pink in the Rink” game for the Springfield Thunderbirds marks an evening of increased significance for the local hockey staple. Partnering with Baystate Medical Center and the Rays of Hope Foundation, the Thunderbirds will be raising funds to support Rays of Hope’s advocacy for breast cancer awareness during their March 5 game.
The charitable game makes its return after a nearly two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. President of the Thunderbirds Nathan Costa described the game as the team’s “marquee event” of the season, with the team embracing a pink color scheme to represent breast cancer awareness.
“The event has grown from what it was year one to what it will be this year. We’re going to have dozens of survivors on the ice putting a spotlight on their fight,” said Costa in an interview with Reminder Publishing. Along with coloring the arena with pink lights, the players also don pink jerseys that are sold as a part of the team’s fundraiser after the game.
This year’s “Pink in the Rink” marks the team’s fifth annual charitable game, with Costa explaining that the game takes place in March to highlight Ray of Hope’s fundraising season. Costa expressed his support for Rays of Hope as a local organization that places “all of their effort” in raising advocacy for breast cancer awareness and aiding survivors.
“Our goal was to partner with someone locally like the Rays of Hope…their mission really goes hand-in-hand with our mission. There’s a lot of events that take place in October due to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but we decided to do it in March because it’s a great time for Rays of Hope to fundraise,” said Costa.
“Pink in the Rink” resonates deeply with fans and players alike. Thunderbirds Right Wing and Former AHL scoring champion Sam Anas shared his personal ties to the charitable evening, with his mother battling breast cancer over 23 years before passing in 2020 due to brain tumors.
“She went through breast cancer three different times. They were all spread out across my life, so it’s always been something near and dear to my family…It was very tough, but she was always such a fighter. No matter how sick she was or whatever pain she was going through, she always put being a mom first and never let us see she was struggling,” said Anas in an interview with Reminder Publishing.
Anas shared that the fundraising event is critical in highlighting important stories of survivors and their families. He hopes the event highlights the support within the community for those suffering from Breast Cancer.
“Knowing that you have a lot of people behind you and in your corner is really something that means a lot. It not just means a lot to the people going through the fight, but also the family and the friends around them. It really does take a community of people to beat this awful disease,” said Anas.
As the team prepares for the meaningful evening, Costa expressed he and the team’s aspiration to leave a positive impact on the community.
“Personally, it’s something that I’ve been strongly behind…At the end of the day, we want to win hockey games and we’re a hockey team, but it goes far beyond that. This is a perfect example of marrying the two organizations and coming up with a really exciting event,” said Costa.
The Thunderbirds president continued to describe the night’s significance. “This night is really a celebration. It’s an opportunity for these women who have gone through some really tough times to get together with other people who have gone through the same fight and celebrate together. To be able to do that means a lot to us and our ownership,” said Costa.
Readers can find more information about the “Pink in the Rink” game and the Thunderbirds at https://www.springfieldthunderbirds.com/.