Avs to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness

WASILLA — The Alaska Avalanche will show a different look on the ice Saturday — sporting the color pink.

Following in the footsteps of professional hockey teams such as the Alaska Aces, the Avalanche will don commemorative pink and white sweaters in support of breast cancer awareness and education when the team takes the ice against the Texas Tornado at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena.

Following the game, each of the game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off by the junior hockey club, with all proceeds going to Breast Cancer Focus, an Alaska no-profit organization.

Darlene Marks, a member of the Avalanche staff, is organizing the charity event. After seeing what the Aces were able to do, Marks said she thought the Avalanche franchise could also make an impact.

So far, there has been great support, Marks said, most notably from the team. Initially, Marks said she was unsure how a group of young men would feel about wearing a color not normally seen on a hockey jersey.

But, Marks said, the Avs are sporting the pink proudly.

“The boys are loving it,” Marks said.

But it’s not just the color, it’s also the cause.

“Like the rest of us, they’ve all been touched by breast cancer,” Marks said. “A friend, or a loved one.”

The players have already posed for pictures in the pink, and wore the jerseys during an autograph session at the Brett Memorial Ice Arena earlier in their week.

This is the first year the Avs have featured the jersey and hosted an auction for the breast cancer cause. Marks said it’s hard to say how much money the Avs will be able to earn for Breast Cancer Focus, but whatever the team does raise will stay in Alaska.

“In the first year I’m hoping for $10,000, but I’m just not sure,” Marks said. “I’m hoping we can raise that much, but you just never know.”

The Avs will be selling hats and scarves with the breast cancer awareness logo, and Marks said Avon donated pins and keychains. Pink ‘thunderstacks’ will be distributed at the game, and the first 100 women in the building will receive a prize bag, Marks said.

Alaska head coach and general manager Jamie Smith said the charity event fits perfectly into the goal the Avs have set off the ice — reaching out to the community.

“It’s been really positive,” Smith said. “We want to get out and do some things in the community.”

The Avalanche players and staff will also be volunteering their time at during a Halloween carnival hosted by Cottonwood Creek Elementary tonight.