The St. Louis Blues, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, and Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine have once again joined forces in preparation for this year’s Hockey Fights Cancer Night at Enterprise Center to announce the launch of the ground-breaking pediatric cancer research project enabled by last year’s fundraising campaign. The Blues and Siteman will host their 2024 Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Thursday, December 12, against the San Jose Sharks where they will once again partner with the V Foundation to kick off a new cancer research fundraising campaign.
Last week marked the beginning of the $200,000 pediatric cancer research grant awarded to Nathan Singh, MD, that was enabled by last year’s initial Hockey Fights Cancer fundraising campaign between the Blues and the V Foundation. The grant to Dr. Singh, a Washington University Medical Oncologist at Siteman Cancer Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine, is for a two-year study into regulating specific cell functional states to enhance anti-tumor efficacy.
“We are at a turning point in the treatment of cancer, fueled by the marriage of biology and engineering. We can now, in truth, start to imagine a world where cure is the standard and people don’t need to suffer from harmful therapies like chemo and radiation that often cause more pain than progress,” said Dr. Singh. “Support from the Blues and the V Foundation through Hockey Fights Cancer allows us to continue our work towards this mission and use the power of engineering to design therapies that redirect the immune response against cancer in smarter, safer and more effective ways.”
“The St. Louis Blues and the entire Blues’ community are changing the game for cancer patients and their families by funding innovative cancer research,” said Shane Jacobson, V Foundation CEO. “The V Foundation prides itself on funding all-star cancer researchers across North America and specifically right here in St. Louis at Siteman Cancer Center. We’re excited to benefit from the impact Dr. Singh’s research will make, improving outcomes for childhood cancer patients now and in the future.”
For this year’s Hockey Fights Cancer Night at Enterprise Center, the second campaign of the team’s collaboration with the V Foundation, the Blues have established another initial fundraising goal of $200,000 to raise awareness and funds in the search of a cure by way of another cancer research grant to be undertaken by Siteman Cancer Center.
Blues fans can join the fundraising efforts via several donation-driven initiatives:
- Beginning December 1, fans can visit Blues5050.com to purchase a ticket for the Blues’ 50/50 Raffle presented by DraftKings
- At Enterprise Center on December 12, fans can purchase Hockey Fights Cancer autographed mystery pucks for $40 outside of Portal 15. Pucks are autographed by members of the current team, wrapped in foil and selected at random
- Purchase a Blues HFC Ribbon pins for $5 outside of Blues for Kids Section
- Text “blues” to 76278 to participate in the Hockey Fights Cancer Night auction, featuring autographed memorabilia and lavender-taped sticks used by Blues players during warmups
“The reputation of the V Foundation to put their collective might together to drive meaningful results across the field of cancer research is well-known, and our initial experience with them last year even exceeded our expectations,” said Chris Zimmerman, Blues President and CEO of Business Operations. “In more than doubling our initial fundraising goal, we clearly could not have selected a more capable and collaborative partner to team up with on our Hockey Fights Cancer initiative. As the initial research grant funded by our efforts gets underway, we look forward to supporting the next round of lifechanging cancer research with our committed partners at Siteman Cancer Center.”
The Blues are also leveraging the December 12 game to activate the St. Louis business community to support the initiative with the return of its Hockey Fights Cancer First Stars of the Game Program. Local companies that would like to honor an employee who has been affected by cancer to a once-in-a-lifetime Blues game experience at Hockey Fights Cancer Night on December 12 should visit stlouisblues.com/HFC. Each $3,000 donation will provide that company with the opportunity to present two Sky Level Suite tickets to an employee who has battled cancer or had someone in their immediate family battle cancer. Each Hockey Fights Cancer Star of the Game will receive a locker-room issued Hockey Fights Cancer jersey from a randomly selected player, have the chance to meet their player immediately after the game, and get their jersey autographed on the ice. Companies may purchase one of 20 available ticket packages, each featuring two tickets inclusive of food and nonalcoholic beverages in the suite, and donate to a patient to be selected by Siteman Cancer Center.
Hockey Fights Cancer Night on December 12 will also feature a variety of in-game elements to recognize and raise awareness for the cause among all fans in attendance:
- The annual call for Blues fans to turn on their cell phone lights to ‘Spread Ari’s Light’ before the National Anthem, to keep alive the memory of inspirational Blues fan Ari Dougan.
- An in-game call for fans who have battled or are battling cancer to stand and be recognized during the second TV timeout of the first period. Fans can fill out an “I Fight For …” cards at one of the tables placed around the main concourse prior to the game.
- The Blues will also stage celebratory bell-ringings – signifying a member of the community has become cancer-free – during the first period and both intermissions, while patients from Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital will represent several experiences during the game, including singing the National Anthem, announcing the starting lineups, playing the organ, and serving as the Blues intermission reporter.
Hockey Fights Cancer, a joint initiative of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) powered by the V Foundation, is committed to accelerating research conducted by the best scientists in the world who are working to achieve Victory Over Cancer®. The Blues and the V Foundation will kick off this fundraising initiative with their Hockey Fights Cancer game.
About The V Foundation for Cancer Research
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach, ESPN commentator and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The V Foundation has funded nearly $400 million in game-changing cancer research grants in North America through a competitive process strictly supervised by a world-class Scientific Advisory Committee. Because the V Foundation has an endowment to cover administrative expenses, 100% of direct donations is awarded to cancer research and programs. The V team is committed to funding the best scientists to accelerate Victory Over Cancer® and save lives. To learn more, visit v.org.
