First, there was the overall game colour scheme – purple, both with the arena light and in the glow sticks that fans could purchase before the game.
Then there were the placards being sold by members of the 40 Snowbird Air Cadet League of Canada, which were later displayed on the east wall of the Mosaic Place concourse.
And finally, there was the post-game opportunity for fans to sign the ice around the Warriors logo with names of those loved and lost to cancer.
It was all part of the Hockey Fights Cancer night staged by the Moose Jaw Warriors, part of the ongoing National Hockey League campaign to raise funds to fight the deadly disease in all its forms.
It was also something the cadets themselves were a major part of, with their uniformed presence throughout the night adding to the atmosphere of the event.
“CAE invited us to partner up with them and it’s an opportunity for the cadets to try and make a difference in their own way for cancer and cancer survivors, remember loved ones and people who have gone through the battle and won the battle,” said Lt. Athena Cutts with the air cadets.
“It’s also a great opportunity get into the public and be involved in the community and we felt it was a real success tonight.”
The initiative was founded by the NHL in 1998 and has raised more than $20 million for cancer organizations since that date.
“We’ve been involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer awareness, but this one literally touches on all cancers,” said Corey Nyhagen, Warriors director of business. “This was something that we wanted to bring to our fan base, an opportunity to raise some funds that can stay right here in Moose Jaw and help something that touches the lives of everybody here in Moose Jaw.”
All in all, the night was a major success, and while final fundraising totals were unavailable as of press time, it’s all but certain the event will return in the future.
“We’ve never had an opportunity to do this before, but we’d love to have a chance to do it again and again, it was a lot of fun,” said Cutts.
