Amerks and Knighthawks' 'Week of Caring' Concludes Today
May 13, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release
(Rochester, NY)... The Rochester Americans and Knighthawks' "Week of Caring" concludes today in appropriate fashion with a donation of over $7,600 to the Craig Charron Foundation in honor of the late Craig Charron, a former Amerks Hall of Famer who succumbed to stomach cancer last October. The Rochester teams raised over $44,000 for local charities over the course of the 2010-11 season through the Knighthawks/Amerks Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Charron's wife, Wendy, along with close friend and former Amerks defenseman Ray Maluta, will accept a check for $7,629.30 on behalf of the Craig Charron Foundation at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon at The Blue Cross Arena. Media interested in attending the event should contact Warren Kosel, Manager of Communications, at 585-454-5335 ext. 3025.
The proceeds raised came from a collaborative effort from the team's first "Mystery Puck" night that garnered $620.55 in funds in the first installment of the season-long promotion. Over the course of the campaign on select nights, fans had the opportunity to purchase a series of holiday-themed "Mystery Pucks." Each night, a limited number of one-of-a-kind themed pucks were sold in the upper atrium for $10.00, with all net proceeds going to the Knighthawks/Amerks Charitable Foundation. Each puck was autographed by an Amerks player and was individually wrapped so that the player's identity remained a mystery until the puck was purchased. A select number of pucks were labeled "WINNER."
The bulk of the monies raised, however, came on "Sharky's Tribute Night," when the Amerks donated half of the revenue for tickets sold for the October 23rd game against the Grand Rapids Griffins. As part of the tribute, the Amerks aired a video dedicated to the life of Charron, unveiled his last game-worn jersey in Rochester and proudly adorned "Sharky's" famous logo on their right shoulder. The same logo was also inserted into both ends of the ice at The Blue Cross Arena for the remainder season. His No. 5 was also worn on the helmets all season long by the 2010-11 Rochester Americans.
"Sharky" passed away in the early morning hours on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 after a year-long battle with cancer. Charron, 42, is survived by his wife, Wendy, and their four children: Jackson, Nicholas, Hunter Anne, and Emma. "Sharky" was the general manager at The Sports Centre at MCC and the varsity hockey coach at Spencerport High School.
Charron was the 44th member of the Amerks Hall of Fame, having played in 335 games (1995-98, 2000-02) with Rochester. "Sharky" was a two-time winner of the team's MVP award, scoring title, McCulloch Trophy for community service, Fairand O'Neill Award for sportsmanship and the Booster Club's Most Popular Player award. In 1995-96, he earned team MVP honors and helped the Amerks win their sixth Calder Cup. In 1997-98, he was also named the AHL's Fred T. Hunt Award winner, which is given annually to the player that best exemplifies sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey.
Fans can still donate money to the Amerks Alumni Association to benefit the family of Charron by going to craigcharron.com.
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