Mars hockey club plans annual fundraiser game for ALS research
Even though the original “driving force” behind the Mars Hockey Club’s annual ALS fundraising game graduated from Mars Area High School years ago, the team still plans the game each year thanks to other people with connections to the disease.
The Mars Hockey Club’s ALS charity game will take place at 7 p.m. on Feb. 2 at Baierl Toyota Ice Complex, 103 Marshall Drive in Marshall Township. Brian Crowley, chairman of the ALS Charity Game Committee, said the game was the idea of student and player Jared Kolarcik-Schmidt, whose mother, Christi Kolarcik, worked in ALS research.
Since the first game in 2021, other people within the school community have picked up the torch to plan the game each ensuing year to continue aiding ALS research.
“(Kolarcik) is hyperfocused on ALS doing research on the disease. Given (Kolarcik-Schmidt’s) mother’s passion, he wanted to contribute to it and he saw this as a way,” Crowley said. “There are a few people in the Mars community who are affected by this, too. It has become a rallying point, and it’s why this event has continued on so long.”
Mars will face off against West Allegheny High School’s hockey team at the free game, which is meant to raise money for ALS research through raffles and selling items at the complex. But fundraising is just one of the important aspects of the game, with Crowley pointing out that raising awareness of the disease and its symptoms is another element of the game.
Last year’s event raised more than $6,000 for ALS Association of Western Pennsylvania. This year the team is determined to push that total even higher, said a news release from the club. Fans can contribute to the fundraising by participating in raffles for prizes, including autographed jerseys, signed sports memorabilia and themed gift baskets.
Crowley himself has a personal connection to ALS, with his father-in-law developing and eventually dying from the disease. He said the disease “absolutely ravaged him,” but his family communicated with the foundation for help and support along the way.
The ALS charity game is his way of helping the organization that helped him and his family.
“The ALS Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, the resources, the compassion that they provided my father-in-law was just exceptional,” Crowley said. “To raise awareness and contribute to those people is what we can do. That money goes to a good organization that does great work on the people who are affected.”
