Jan. 21, 2010
To bid on this week’s auction .
Notre Dame, Ind. – The Notre Dame hockey team will literally be giving “The Shirts Off Their Backs,” immediately following the Jan. 30 game with Nebraska-Omaha at the Joyce Center. The Fighting Irish will play that weekend series in specially designed jerseys that honor Hockey Helpers and the Wounded Warrior Project. The jerseys will only be worn for the two-game series with the Mavericks and will then be auctioned off to the highest bidders to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.
The bidding is scheduled to begin on Friday, January 22 at 12 noon and will run through Saturday, January 30 at 9:30 p.m. ET. Fans can bid on any or all 28 players jerseys at the Notre Dame website – und.com/auctions. Bids on each jersey will start at $125.00 with all proceeds going to benefit Hockey Helpers and the Wounded Warriors Project.
Fans must be registered to bid on these special jerseys by setting up an auction profile (user name/password/billing information) in advance. To register a new profile, link to https;//und.cstvauctions.com/register.cfm. Each jersey will be autographed by the player wearing it, and also one additional player (NCAA rules stipulate a minimum of two signatures per jersey) of the bidder’s choice. The winning bidder has the option to have the jersey autographed by the entire team if they wish.
The idea for this unique fund-raising project at Notre Dame came from senior alternate captain Kevin Deeth (Sr., Gig Harbor, Wash.) who worked with Irish equipment specialist Dave Gilbert and adidas in designing the jersey that will be worn. The jerseys are NHL-style, adidas commemorative jerseys in home white with blue and gold trim. Each players name and number (blue – on back and shoulders) will be on the jersey along with logos from Hockey Helpers and the Wounded Warrior Project. The actual jersey can be seen on the Notre Dame website at und.com.
“Coach Jackson always challenges us to get involved in community service and to give something back,” said Deeth.
“Since I’ve been here the hockey team has always had a major project that it was involved with each year. We thought about doing the jersey auction and Tom Nevala (senior associate athletic director) directed us towards the Hockey Helpers and the Wounded Warriors Project. Ryan Adler (Hockey Helpers) was a big help as we modeled this after what he had done as a player at Hobart. Gilly (Dave Gilbert) helped in designing the jersey and then worked with adidas to get it done. I think that it looks great.”
Deeth added, “This is big for our team because it’s our way of showing that we support what our troops are doing for us every day. As the Wounded Warrior Project says, `the greatest casualty is being forgotten.’ This shows that we haven’t forgotten their sacrifice, especially those who have been injured and need our help now that they are back home.”
The Hockey Helpers (HH) was founded by Ryan Adler, a former Hobart College hockey player. The program was established in 2008-09 to give the Hobart College hockey team and other NCAA collegiate teams the opportunity to volunteer and give back through multiple service projects. HH collaborated with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) to bring attention and support to the veterans wounded during war. The WWP is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, non-profit organization that exists to provide tangible comfort and support to the new generation of severely injured service members upon their return home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas around the world. Beginning at the bedside of the severely injured, Wounded Warrior Project provides programs and services designed to ease the burdens of these heroes and their families, aid in the recovery process, and smooth the transition back to civilian life.
Following Saturday night’s game with Nebraska-Omaha, all fans in attendance who have had the highest bids for the jerseys will be presented their jersey on the ice by the respective player.
For more information on this event, contact Darin Ottaviani at 574-631-9910.