TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Wildcat ice hockey team will host the sixth annual “Pink the Rink” game on Saturday, Jan. 18, to promote cancer awareness and contribute proceeds to the University of Arizona Cancer Center. The game against Missouri State University will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave., in the Tucson Convention Center.
The local community is invited to participate in this event by purchasing a commemorative jersey featuring the name of a loved one to be worn by a Wildcat hockey player during the game. The commemorative game jerseys are $250, and all proceeds go directly to research at the UArizona Cancer Center.
After the game, players will present their game-worn jerseys to the purchasers, and the team will host a special program featuring stories of those being honored. Honorees may include cancer victims, cancer survivors or individuals battling the disease. They also may choose to honor those who care for patients in the home, who volunteer through community work or who have dedicated their career to battling cancer.
“The ‘Pink the Rink’ game is something we look forward to every year,” said head coachChad Berman. “It’s more than a hockey game. It feels like the entire community is in the building that day. We are honored to take advantage of our platform and to unite the community for something that, unfortunately, effects so many of us one way or another.”
Rachna Shroff, MD, medical director of the clinical trials office, has been selected to represent the UArizona Cancer Center for the ceremonial puck drop at the start of the game. Dr. Shroff is a research member in the Cancer Center’s Therapeutic Development Program and an associate professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. She also serves as section chief of gastrointestinal medical oncology.
“I am honored to be a part of this wonderful opportunity to represent the Cancer Center as we join the hockey team in raising cancer awareness throughout our community,” Dr Shroff said. “The Cancer Center is determined to prevent and cure cancer, and we have tremendous teams of researchers and physicians working tirelessly to advance cancer research and care. The generous support and donations raised through this hockey game will help us advance our mission and give back to those affected by cancer in our community.”
Fans attending the game are encouraged to wear pink. Tickets are on sale and range from $10-15. For more information and to purchase tickets and/or a jersey, visit: arizonawildcathockey.org/pink. Jersey numbers are available on a first-come, first-served basis from 1 to 35.
NOTE: Additional photos, logos and other multimedia assets may be available upon request.
About the University of Arizona Cancer Center
The University of Arizona Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center with headquarters in Arizona. The UArizona Cancer Center is supported by NCI Cancer Center Support Grant No. CA023074. With primary locations at the University of Arizona in Tucson and at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, the Arizona Cancer Center has more than a dozen research and education offices throughout the state, with more than 300 physicians and scientists working together to prevent and cure cancer. For more information: cancercenter.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube)
About the University of Arizona Health Sciences
The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UArizona Health Sciences includes the Colleges of Medicine (Tucson and Phoenix), Nursing, Pharmacy, and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the Health Sciences employs nearly 5,000 people, has approximately 900 faculty members and garners $200 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: uahs.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram)