CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – Local philanthropist Gloria Hicks collaborated with the Corpus Christi IceRays, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and SMG American Bank Center to dedicate the February 27th IceRays game to informing 5,000 students about smoking prevention. Students from Corpus Christi ISD and five surrounding school districts will attend an interactive event to learn the harmful effects of smoking.
The game originally scheduled for 7:05pm has been changed to 10:00am so that the participating school districts are able to bus students to and from the game. Funding for student transportation has been provided by local community supporters. Tickets purchased for the original time will be honored at the new time.
“It’s exciting for our team to be able to play in front of so many youth! It’s also rewarding for us to be a part of such an important cause,” said Corpus Christi IceRays General Manager Pat Dunn. “After Pink in the Rink, this is a great opportunity to create awareness on the dangers of tobacco usage. We are excited to partner with a group of people who do so much for our community.”
MD Anderson representatives will engage students in various activities that will be fun and informative. The first presentation begins at 9:30am followed by the puck drop at 10am and then the ASPIRE (A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience) presentation at 10:45am during the first intermission.
"We are all excited about our morning game coming up,” said Corpus Christi IceRays Head Coach Justin Quenneville. “This will be a great experience for the players to help deliver such an important message. So many values are tied into this event and any opportunity to educate our local youth is a positive any day.”
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For nine of the past 11 years, including 2012, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in “Best Hospitals,” a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
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SMG managed American Bank Center is Corpus Christi’s premier event center providing unprecedented guest experiences. Follow us online at www.Americanbankcenter.com, facebook.com/AmericanBankCenter, or twitter.com/AmericanBankCtr.
The IceRays are on the road this weekend as they take on the Amarillo Bulls. Puck drops at 7:00PM, coverage begins at 6:45PM with the IceRays Pregame Show on 91.1FM KSGR, ksgr.org, ustream.com, and fasthockey.com.
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