This last Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, was the fourth annual Pink the Rink fundraiser put on by our very own hockey team. This event is a very special occasion for Colorado Mesa University (CMU) and Saint Mary’s Cancer Survivorship Program. All proceeds that come from the event go directly to Saint Mary’s to help cover the additional costs outside the basic medical costs. 

So why should this game be an example of how we should act as Mavericks? Well there are multiple examples that come to mind from this game. The first, and most obvious, is supporting those in need. 

Most sporting events are free for all students to attend. A student can rest assured not paying an entrance fee as long as they have their Mavcard with them. This is not the case for Pink the Rink. There is a $10 admission fee that goes directly to Saint Mary’s. Every person ranging from student to media has to pay this admission fee – which is worth it. 

As a school we should be attending these types of events that helps others who are in need. It not only looks good for us – which is a perk – but it also gives the students the ability to extend a helping hand in a big way. 

In a previous Criterion article titled, Pink the Rink fundraiser, Casey Smith – The Criterion’s Photo Editor – interviewed the captain of the hockey team Philip Flink. “We would love to raise $20,000 this year but our goal is to make sure we surpass the $50,000 mark for the last 4 years,” Flink said.

Now, breaking $50,000 is an amazing feat for any fundraiser and the fact that a team of CMU students has beat that goal for a cancer treatment program is inspiring. The cool part about it too is that we, the student body, had the ability to contribute to this goal and help people in need. I don’t know about you, but that makes me proud to be a Maverick.

Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Club Sports, Reese Keegan, stated,

“The success of this event depended on the preparation and commitment from the players. They put in the effort to engage the community we live in and CMU student body to support Breast cancer survivors. This has been the 4th year of “pinking the rink” and I couldn’t be more proud of my Hockey current team for breaking $50,000.”

Student support is one thing that has always awed me at games. I have been to multiple football games this year, and the student section has been lackluster. Personally, I was pretty embarrassed that Western State University had their own student section that was a quarter of the size of our student section, and they were louder than us. 

However, this was not the case at the hockey game on Friday night. I did not know our student section had it in them to scream, chant, and sing during a game.

Now, if we could take that energy and use it as an example of how our student section should be during any game, we would be a force to be reckon with.

During the hockey game, I watched the crowd pound the glass when an opposing team member was thrown into the glass, they would start chanting “let’s go Mavericks, let’s go,” they would sing and dance and purchase/wear the hockey team’s apparel. 

This was amazing to watch. I wish our student body would be this energetic at other games. It was exhilarating to watch and be a part of! It is a great example of how we, as Mavericks, should be at sporting events. 

Overall this was a successful event and worth attending. If we can model our sporting events to have the same energy and excitement as Pink the Rink does, we would have a superb student section. I encourage everyone to attend Pink the Rink next year. It is an indirect way to support people battling cancer while attending something fun.