PSU ALTOONA ICE HOCKEY RAISES MONEY FOR THON

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

THE PENN STATE ALTOONA ICE HOCKEY TEAM TOOK THE NIGHT OFF FROM PRACTICE MONDAY NIGHT TO PROMOTE A SKATE FOR THON, AN ORGANIZTION THAT WAS CREATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMBATING PEDIATRIC CANCER.  IT WAS STARTED IN 1973 BY THE UNIVERSITY'S INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL AND IN ITS FIRST YEAR RAISED OVER $2000, WITH 39 COUPLES DANCING FOR 30 HOURS.  TODAY, IT IS THE LARGEST STUDENT-RUN PHILANTHROPY IN THE WORLD, BY INVOLVEMENT AND REVENUE.  THE MONEY IS DONATED TO THE FOUR DIAMONDS FUND, A CHARITY DEVOTED TO DEFEATING PEDIATRIC CANCER THROUGH RESEARCH AND CARING FOR THE PATIENTS ATTHE PENN STATE HERSHEY CHILDRENS HOSPITAL.

THE IDEA TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEARS EVENT CAME FROM FORMER PSU ALTOONA ICE MANAGER ANGIE GOKHMAN, WHO APPROACHED HEAD COACH TOM LANTZ ABOUT GETTING THE TEAM INVOLVED.  "WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO GET INVOLVED IN CHARITIES, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS GOOD FOR THE PLAYER TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP WAS PARTICIPATING IN THON."  WITH THE HELP OF CURRENT MANAGERS CORTNEY DLUBAK, MARIA TREFZ, AND JAIME HYDE, THE IDEA FOR A THON SKATE STARTED TO TAKE FROM.  AFTER RECEIVING APPROVAL FROM THE THON COMMITTEE LESS THAN A WEEK AGO, THE GIRLS WERE ABLE TO GET THE TEAM INVOLVED SPREADING THE WORD AROUND CAMPUS AND SELLING TICKETS FOR THE EVENT.  CORTNEY APPROACHED GENERAL MANAGER OF GALACTIC ICE, HAL BADORREK, ABOUT DONATING THE ICE FOR THE EVENT.  WITHOUT HESITATION, HAL AGREED.  THEY THEN ACQUIRED THE MUSIC SERVICES OF JAKE "DJ' ULLOM, A SOPHOMORE AT PSU ALTOONA AND OWNER OF EXTREME MUSIC EXPERIENCE, TO PROVIDE THE ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE NIGHT.  JAKE DID NOT DISAPPOINT AS HE KEPT THE PARTY ROCKING ALL NIGHT LONG. 

ONE THING ABOUT PSU IS THAT THE STUDENT BODY RUSHES OUT TO SUPPORT ANYTHING RELATED TO THON, AND MONDAY NIGHT NIGHT WAS NO EXCEPTION AND THE STUDENTS DID NOT DISAPPOINT.  GALACTIC ICE IS ABOUT 20 MINUTES FROM CAMPUS AND WE WERE NOT QUITE SURE WHAT TO EXPECT.  BUT WHEN THE FIRST STUDENT BODY ARRIVED IN A TAXI, WE KNEW THIS COULD BE THE START TO A  REALLY GOOD NIGHT.  WE THOUGHT IF WE COULD GET ABOUT 50 OR 60 STUDENTS TO ATTEND AND MAKE A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS WE WOULD CONSIDER THE EVENT A SUCCESS.  BUT WHEN THAT TOTAL GOT CLOSE TO 200 STUDENTS AND THE HOCKEY TEAM HAD RAISED OVER $1000 BOTH SMILES AND TEARS FILLED THE RINK.  SOPHOMORE FORWARD BEN KINCH HAD THIS TO SAY..."IT WAS GREAT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS TONIGHT."

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PSU ALTOONA HOCKEY  TEAM AND THE PENN STATE ALTOONA STUDENTS FOR COMING OUT AND SUPPORTING THON!!!  I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK GALACTIC ICE AND HAL BADORREK FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATION OF THE ICE FOR SUCH A GREAT CAUSE.  ALSO A SPECIAL THANKS TO JAKE ULLOM, CORTNEY DLUBAK, MARIA TREFZ, JAMIE HYDE, BRIDGETTE DASILVA, AND ANGIE GOKHMAN, WHO WITHOUT THEIR DEDICATION AND EFFORT, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. 

AS THE STUDENT BODY GATHERED AT CENTER ICE FOR A PICTURE.  MANY OF THE STUDENT FORMING THE DIAMOND SIGN WITH THEIR HANDS CAME TOGETHER FOR ONE NIGHT RAISING FUNDS WITH THE RALLYING CRY "FOR THE KIDS!!!".