Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Colgate to Light Up Starr Rink Blue on Friday


HAMILTON, N.Y. (1/31/12)
 – The Colgate women's hockey team will host its second annual Light Up Starr Rink Blue event during its home game against ECAC Hockey opponent Union on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.
 
The event will mark the beginning of the team's 2012 Autism Awareness Project. The Raiders are looking to have over 1,200 fans help them celebrate their Autism Awareness Project by wearing light blue to the game. The first 300 fans to arrive at Starr Rink will receive a free light blue special event t-shirt courtesy of Price Chopper, Crows, Oliveri's, the Colgate Bookstore, the Colgate Inn, the Hamilton Inn and Seven Oaks. Any fan wearing light blue, the color of autism, will get in for free.

The team will also wear special autism jerseys designed by Christian Mast, an 11-year-old from Upstate New York. Christian is an author, hockey player, student, friend, brother and son who has autism, a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. It is characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.
 
The jerseys will be auctioned off through an online silent auction that will begin on Feb. 3 after the game.

In addition to other prizes, the Raiders will host their Inter-Greek Challenge once again, offering a prize to the Greek organization with the highest percentage of members wearing blue at the Union game. Gilligan's will also be selling blue ice cream with proceeds going towards the project.

The team created this project in support of Kati Williams, a local teenager from Norwich, N.Y. Kati has been an avid fan of Colgate women's hockey for several years and now works as the team manager. She has Asperger's Syndrome, which is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.

For more information about the auction and the project's events please visit www.colgate.edu/autism.

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