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Pack the house for charity

February 17, 2005 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


The Corpus Christi Rayz and the Corpus Christi Caller - Times are thrilled to present the first ever "Pack the House for Charity" Night at the American Bank Center on Saturday, February 26th at 7:00pm when the Rayz host the Laredo Bucks. The Rayz will attempt to set a new hockey attendance record at the American Bank Center while helping to raise money for four very deserving youth based organizations in Corpus Christi. The Rayz have joined forces with the Coastal Bend Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the American Red Cross – Coastal Bend Chapter, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for Children and the Corpus Christi Youth Hockey Association for the Charity night. The Rayz will provide a cash grant and a portion of ticket sales to each of these groups.

"Pack the House for Charity" Nights have met with much success in various cities and first-year Rayz General Manager Larry Linde has overseen many of them before coming to South Texas last spring.

"Pack the House is our single largest fundraising event of the season and will quickly become the biggest and most anticipated game of the year." Linde said. He added, "The great thing about ‘Pack the House' is that it allows us to unite with our fans in a common goal...to make a difference in our community. We want to give fans the opportunity to experience a great game in a full house, while at the same time supporting some wonderful organizations."

The Rayz are playing their first season in the new American Bank Center and Corpus Christi has already posted a sell-out crowd of 7,495 fans for the team's inaugural event in the arena on November 5th, 2004.

"The atmosphere of a packed American Bank Center for a Rayz – Bucks hockey game is unrivaled in the CHL or the city of Corpus Christi," Linde said. "Anyone who was there on Opening Night knows how much excitement and electricity is in the air when the building is packed. On February 26th, we'll raise the roof on the American Bank Center and do some great things for the kids in this community."

Unlike some other fundraising events, all the money raised from the Pack the House for Charity Night will remain in South Texas. "The people of Corpus Christi will be helping other people of Corpus Christi," Linde said. "That's what makes an event like this so special and so bonding for a community. The Rayz are excited to be teaming up with the wonderful organizations participating in our inaugural ‘Pack the House for Charity' Night."

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a voluntary health agency aimed at conquering neuromuscular diseases that affect more than a million Americans. The Coastal Bend Chapter of the MDA holds an annual week-long Summer Camp for children in Bruceville, TX where children suffering from Muscular Dystrophy can participate in activities they may not normally have the opportunity to. The MDA relies on the support of volunteers and charitable donations to run this summer camp for hundreds of South Texas children each year.

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers, guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement to provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The American Red Cross is the most recognizable organization to assist victims of natural disasters. The Coastal Bend Chapter of the American Red Cross provides relief and assistance to South Texas citizens affected by disasters such as fires, hurricanes and floods.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the Coastal Bend is a non-profit organization of volunteers who serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in foster care. All children deserve a safe, stable home but sadly enough, last year over 1000 children in the Coastal Bend lived in homes filled with abuse. CASA volunteers are the "voice" these children need in court – a voice that rings out loudly so these children will have the inalienable right to experience their childhood in a safe, permanent and loving environment.

The Corpus Christi Youth Hockey Association is a non-profit organization governed by a board of volunteers dedicated to the growth and promotion of the sport of hockey. The CCYHA welcomes children of all ages and abilities to participate in the sport of hockey, and introduces them to an activity not available in Corpus Christi just seven years ago. The CCYHA utilizes the Champion Toyota Ice Center at Memorial Coliseum's ice surface for practices and most games. CCYHA has an in-house program and a high-school program. The high-school program is a member of the Greater Texas Hockey League, which has associations and scheduled tournaments throughout Texas.

Each of these four groups will receive a cash grant from the Rayz in addition to a portion of ticket sold for the game on February 26th. The entire Corpus Christi community is encouraged to be a part of "Pack the House for Charity" Night presented by the Caller-Times.

The Rayz are currently in first-place for a record 14th consecutive week. With the season winding down, the February 26th game versus the Rayz biggest will certainly have playoff implications. Fans will have the chance to make home-ice advantage that much greater for Corpus Christi, who is an exceptional 13-7-2 at home this season. With the help of the community, "Pack the House for Charity" Night will be the biggest game in Rayz history!

Regular price tickets start as low as $10 (plus a $1.50 facility fee) and are available at the American Bank Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Call 814-Puck for more information or log on to the Rayz website at www.ccrayz.com.



Central Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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