ROSEMOUNT, MN — April 18, 2022 — This season more than $75,000 was raised by more than 50 high schools and youth hockey associations for more than a dozen cancer organizations, families, and individuals fighting cancer with the support of Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer.
Rosemount High School won the 2nd Annual Michael Weiss Fight Championship as the top high school. The award is named after the Head Coach for Marshall High School, who won his recent fight against cancer. Rosemount High School raised more than $12,000. A portion of the proceeds went to Capstrong, a nonprofit named in honor of former Rosemount student Cap George. The remainder was donated to the family of Ben Dapper, a 7-year-old Farmington Hockey Association player who is going through a second round of chemotherapy.
“While we were very disappointed to lose our Hockey Fights Cancer Game, I told Scott [Farmington High School Head Hockey Coach Scott Macho] this was one of the most meaningful games of the season,” said Rosemount High School Head Hockey Coach Ricky Saintey. Coach Saintey continued, “Participating in the Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer campaign adds to our efforts to do more than just create better hockey players. It helps us show our players how to be better people.”
Rosemount Area Hockey Association won the 3rd annual award for the top association, the John Gegen Cup. The association trophy was named by the inaugural winner of the award, Hastings Hockey Association, for one of their players who beat cancer. This year’s win is a repeat win for Rosemount.
Awards have also been presented to the top team (Princeton-Becker-Big Lake 12U), top Mite jamboree (Roseau Youth Hockey), and the campaign’s MVPs (Marina Udd, Duluth Amateur Hockey Association, and Becky Pasch, Rosemount High School. The Cap George MVP award is given to individuals that distinguish themselves in supporting the annual campaign.
“We set out to energize the hockey community in Minnesota in the fight against cancer. One thing that hockey teams excel at is competing, so competition being part of our efforts was important.” said Matt Feyen, the Executive Director and Founder of Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer, “We hope that the arena banners that go to the top high school, association, team, and jamboree will become even more treasured than the championship banners we see in our arenas today.”
Feyen added, “We hope that every high school team and association team will make the annual Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer campaign part of their season. The success of this year’s campaign is very encouraging toward achieving that goal.”
Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer raises funds year-round to support the campaign, and all proceeds raised go to the organizations that are being supported. All teams that register for a game will have access to an online fundraising portal that shows real-time standings for the competition and promotion through social media. Registered teams and jamborees are provided with stick tape, helmet decals, a game puck, and “I Fight For” signs that honor people fighting or who have battled cancer.
ABOUT MINNESOTA HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER
Minnesota Hockey Fights Cancer was founded in 2018 and became part of Minnesota Hockey Charities, DBA, when it was established as a 501 c (3) in 2020. The organization’s mission is to energize the hockey community in Minnesota to build awareness and support the fight against cancer.
For more information, visit https://mnhockeyfightscancer.org/.
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