The Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League will honor the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School throughout the next month by wearing the last names of the children lost in the Dec. 14 tragedy on their black, alternate jerseys. The club will also hold auctions and fundraisers to benefit the nearby school.
In place of each player's last name, every jersey worn at home (beginning with Saturday night's game against Adirondack), will have the name of one of the 20 students whose life was lost in Newtown, Conn. The names of the six adult victims will appear on the center-hung digital scoreboard throughout the game.
The Sound Tigers are the AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders.
"Sandy Hook Elementary School has been a part of our family, supporting the Sound Tigers at games and community events since the team began calling Bridgeport home, 12 years ago," Sound Tigers president Howard Saffan said. "We are honored to recognize the victims of the heart-breaking events that happened less than 20 miles up the road."
The team will wear these special black jerseys for seven home games leading up to their Jan. 20 match against Springfield. During that game, the Sound Tigers will honor the Newtown community with members or representatives from each family invited to take home their jerseys off the players' backs at the conclusion of the contest. The game will feature special promotions, auctions and other fundraisers to support Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The Sound Tigers will hold an online auction beginning Jan. 7 and ending at midnight on Jan. 20. They'll also have 26 team-signed jerseys for live auction throughout the game on Jan. 20. Proceeds from both auctions will go toward Sandy Hook Elementary School.
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