Pucks for Pink; Paint the Rink Pink Saturday night
Published 8:39 am Wednesday, February 7, 2018
- The crowd reacts after Peter Zsombor-Garat finishes singing during the jersey auction last year in Riverside Arena. Herald file photos
Krecji
When it was announced that Cheri Krejci is the 2018 Paint the Town Pink ambassador, she vowed, “I will go to as many events as I possibly can.”
On Saturday, that means she will be taking the ice with the surging Austin Bruins — they are on a four-game point streak and have the seventh best record in the NAHL, out of 23 teams.
Krejci won’t be on any of the Bruins lines, however. She will drop the ceremonial puck on the pink ice for the event that launched Paint the Town Pink, an effort that now lasts year round to raise money to help find a cure for cancer.
The Bruins and the Minnesota Magicians of Richfield, Minnesota, will face off in the Paint the Rink Pink game beginning at 7:05 p.m., Saturday.
Literally painting the ice pink, the Bruins will raise money for The Hormel Institute in a variety of ways, culminating with the annual live postgame auction featuring player performances and unique Bruins alumni and Minnesota-sports based items.
Austin’s AJ Drobot winds up a wrister during the second period last year against Coulee Region in Riverside Arena.
Last year, the Bruins surpassed the $200,000 mark in total funds raised over seven seasons of Paint the Rink Pink.
The festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. when doors open, and the Bruins beer garden will celebrate happy hour until 7 p.m. with $3 tap beers. Fans will be able to fill out “I fight” cards commemorating loved ones for $1, that will display in the arena lobby through February’s five games.
The Bruins will hold a 50-50 raffle for the cause.
APAC of Austin has provided more than 700 pink chuck-a-pucks for the evening, which fans will be able to take home as souvenirs after the game. A portion of chuck-a-puck sales also will be donated. Paint the Rink Pink T-shirts will be sold for $15.
Ryan Vossler bids on a jersey during the jersey auction last year.
Following the game, the entire set of game-worn jerseys will be live auctioned accompanying player skits, dances and songs. Bruins mascot Bruiser’s jersey — autographed by the entire team — will also be auctioned. Other items up for bid include a Minnesota-shaped plaque made from hockey sticks, signed by the team, a signed photo frame and puck from 2018 AHL All-Star and former Bruin forward CJ Smith, a stick signed by the entire University of Minnesota-Duluth hockey team, and a signed stick from the 2016-17 Bruins team. Fans will need to register for an auction paddle before or during the game if they intend on bidding.
Tickets can be purchased at Hy-Vee, Jim’s Marketplace, Games People Play, and the Holiday Inn for $11 per adult and $8 per student or senior. The Bruins anticipate a sellout and do not recommend fans plan on buying at the door or same-day at the vendors.
