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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Raise Close To $4,700 For Tuite Family

March 4, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, March 4)... A crowd of people swarmed the front of Shamrock Jack's Wednesday night to get a look at the restaurant's four new employees. Decked out in green Amerks T-shirts, complete with their numbers and a shamrock, Tyler Plante, Steve MacIntyre, Luke Beaverson and Evgeny Dadonov of the Rochester Americans took food and drink orders to raise money for an education fund for the Tuite family.

"Those guys are great," said Shamrock Jack's co-owner Mike Petzing. "They are entertaining on and off the ice. They had fun but took it very serious and interacted with the kids that showed up for autographs. They are a great group of guys with big hearts."

The Amerks foursome, led by regular patrons Plante and MacIntyre, signed autographs, raffled off prizes and collected tips from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The crew brought in an astounding $4,698, which included 1,500 in tips and $600 from the silent auction. The largest donation, however, was a $2,500 check from the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which is a charity supported by Shamrock Jack's. The money raised smashed the goal of the evening.

"I had an awesome time," said Plante this morning at practice. "We were shooting for $1,200. To more than double that was a great feeling. We are happy how it turned out and the amount of people that showed up."

All the proceeds will benefit the family of 20 year old Jack Tuite, an avid Knighthawks fan and season ticket holder, who passed away on January 10th. After 20 years of suffering with Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy and the onset of diabetes at age 12, Jack passed away due to sudden heart failure, leaving behind his brother, Brendan (22); sister, Jamie (18); and parents, Jim and Patricia. Jack was just five months shy of his 21st birthday. The fundraiser was a way for the players to give back and show their support.

"The cause was unbelievable. When a tragedy like that happens you are never prepared. I can't imagine how the family feels," said MacIntyre, who is a father of three. "Whatever we can do to help out is the least we can do. To get the turnout we had was awesome."

Plante learned of the story, while attending the Rochester Knighthawks' National Lacrosse League game on February 13th. That night, Amerks and Knighthawks Owner Styres presented Brendan with a large, framed autographed John Grant photo, a framed collage of Knighthawks photos and an autographed jersey, signed by Jack's favorite player, John Grant Jr.

Plante also had a chance to talk to Jack's dad, Jim, during a visit to Shamrock Jack's. He was so touched by the story he organized the players to hold the fundraiser at Shamrock Jack's, which is where the Grant jersey and framed collage are mounted. The mementos reside at the family-owned restaurant operated by Jack and Brendan's aunt, Catherine, and cousin, Mike. All of the items are dedicated to Jack's memory. The Tuite family was present at the Wednesday fundraiser and was grateful to everyone that participated and donated.

"Jimmy was just humbled by it. The way people showed up. People we didn't even know," said Petzing. "We had people coming in saying they read about it on the (team's) website and dropping off checks. It was impressive especially in this economy for people to just dig so deep."

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