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ROUGHNECKS TO WEAR PINK JERSEYS FOR CHARITY

Calgary unveils special jersey for opening night fundraiser

12/17/2007

It's just not cowboys who are tough enough to wear pink. The Calgary Roughnecks will don bright pink jerseys for their home opener on January 12 as part of a fundraiser in aid of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. All shirts worn by the Riggers in the game against the San Jose Stealth will be up for sale, as will 75 other game weight jerseys. There will be live auctions and a silent auction during the game, and any unsold jerseys will be made available on the Roughnecks website.

"It's a one night only event," said Mitch Redshaw, president of the Calgary Roughnecks Foundation. "But on that special evening, with the help of our fans, we hope to raise a large amount of money to help fight a disease that at some time or another has touched almost everyone's life."

Redshaw pointed out that three Roughnecks have had family members hit with breast cancer -- Kaleb Toth (grandmother), Curt Malawsky (mother) and Scott Ranger (grandmother).

"The Canadian Cancer Foundation, Prairies/NWT Region is honoured to be the beneficiary of the Roughnecks fabulous project, the Pink Jersey Auction," said Tamara Collins, the foundation's urban partnership coordinator.

"It is through partnerships like this that the Foundation is able to fund breast cancer research and community programs across the prairies and Northwest Territories."

"We are really pleased about our partnership with the Breast Cancer Foundation," added Roughnecks GM Kurt Silcott. "We feel that with the team wearing these pink jerseys, extra attention will be focussed on the impact of this terrible disease, and hopefully it will spark more people to get involved in a fight that must eventually be won."

"If you had told me that one day I'd be playing professional lacrosse wearing a pink jersey, I'd have told you you are nuts," said Roughnecks captain Tracey Kelusky. "But this is a fantastic cause, and considering the circumstances I'm proud to wear it."