GIVING 

Proving that it is better to give than to receive in a major way, the Charlotte Checkers announced today that they have donated over $80,000 this season through various charitable offerings. Here are the full details:

CHECKERS DONATE MORE THAN $80K TO CHARITY IN MARCH

Pink In The Rink, Salute To Heroes Highlight Charitable Month

The Charlotte Checkers continued their giving ways during the month of March, raising more than $80,000 for local charities and non-profit organizations. This brings the total to more than $1.5 million since the summer of 2006.

Highlighting the month were the “Pink in the Rink” and “Salute to Heroes” games which together, through jersey auctions, ticket sales and in-game donations, raised more than $39,000 for Carolina Breast Friends, families of injured or fallen service workers and other local charities.

“Salute to Heroes” involved a charity hockey game between the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Charlotte Fire Department, Mecklenburg County Sherriff’s Office and Mecklenburg EMS agency. More than 3,000 fans stayed after the Checkers game to watch the annual event which has raised more than $100,000 since its inception in 2006.

On Mar. 11, the Cannon School in Concord, N.C. partnered with the Checkers for “Hockey for Haiti” which raised more than $10,000 for relief efforts resulting from the tragic January earthquake that struck Haiti. Cannon School students raised funds through ticket sales, monetary donations and in-game initiatives while also collecting food and supplies for the victims.

More than 150 golfers on 25 teams participated in the eighth annual Checkers Charity Golf Classic on Mar. 15 and raised more than $8,500 for Presbyterian Children’s Hospital and Discovery Place.

The first ever “Pooch Party” at Time Warner Cable Arena attracted more than 250 dogs and their owners and helped raise $2,100 for the Humane Society of Charlotte.

Other charitable events in March included the Hemby Cup tournament ($2,800), a helmet auction benefiting Ellie Potvin and her family ($6,500) and additional school and non-profit ticket fundraisers. The Checkers also hosted a clothing drive where 88 bags of clothes were collected at the Mar. 19 game with an estimated donation value of $2,500.

“We are extremely proud of the programs and events that raised important fundraising dollars during the month of March,” remarked Checkers COO Tera Black. “Our staff has worked tirelessly with some great non-profit organizations and we appreciate the opportunity to give back to the community.”