The crowd started piling into Kreitzberg Arena like any normal game. But something was different with the men’s hockey team.
Their jerseys were noticeably different. They were not wearing their usual maroon and white uniforms.
Instead, the team was sporting white T-shirts, with “Relay for life” written on the front.
Relay for Life sold the T-shirts and got the audience involved with trivia questions to raise awareness and money for the organization and the America Cancer Society.
Initially, Relay for Life wanted to pair up with the men’s hockey team to promote the sport. But the idea took off, and with the help of the staff working at Krietzberg Arena and Head Coach Mike McShane, they were able to dress the men with Relay for Life T-shirts.
“It’s obviously a very good cause and anything like that you try and do the most you can for it,” McShane said.
Soon after the game, the players banded together in the locker room and decided as a team to sign their individual shirts and donate them. Relay for Life sold each shirt for $10, raising $150 while also gaining a ton of exposure to the fans at a packed Kreitzberg Arena.
“Anytime time you can help a cause such as cancer it’s definitely a worth the extra effort,” said Scott Schroeder, 21, a freshman engineering management major from Drake, Saskatchewan, Canada, and a member of Norwich’s hockey team, “Why wouldn’t you?”
“It’s something we’ve never done before, it was suggested because it was one of the more popular things to do on campus,” said co-chair of the Relay, Sarah Goulakos, 20, junior architecture major from Manchester, N.H.
“It’s an honor to do something like this,” said McShane. “Anytime that you can work with an organization that stands for something you should.”
Relay for Life will be held in Shapiro Fieldhouse on May 1, starting at about 4 o’clock p.m. Groups can be formed at www.relayforlife.com/norwichuvt.