STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — A UW-SP Men’s Hockey tradition takes on a new meaning this year, and gives fans a new way to raise money for cancer treatment.
The team’s eighth annual Put a Check to Cancer game will feature senior forward Kyle Sharkey, who’s mother, Cindy, was diagnosed with breast cancer just before last year’s NCAA Division III tournament, which the Pointers would go on to win.
The team will raise money for the Ministry Saint Joseph’s Foundation by auctioning off their game jerseys to the highest bidder. Head Men’s Hockey Coach Chris Brooks says a big complaint from families of players from out of state has been solved.
Brooks said, “We’ve partnered with the Dash Auction app, and they provide a service where you’re actually able too… sit anywhere you want and as long as you download that app, you can bid on the jerseys live.”
Sharkey says he was able to get a lot of guidance last season from Head Men’s Hockey Coach Chris Brooks, who allowed him to take a break from the team and visit his mother in Oklahoma after her diagnosis.
Sharkey said, “I think being able to go home and see her be positive and spend a little bit of time with her for the couple of days I had really helped me get through it, and gave me a whole new source of motivation to play for my mom during that championship run.”
Coach Brooks said, “We spent a lot of time talking about that, and he turned a negative into a positive,” said Brooks. “I think that experience has made Kyle a stronger person. It’s made him a stronger player, a stronger son.”
If you want to bid on the jerseys yourself, the auction is on right now through the Dash Auction smartphone app for both Android and iOS devices and will close at 8:45pm.
