‘It’s a community’: Bublé, Bosa brothers and more join Panthers on the Prowl

Bill Zito is used to playing the role of recruiter.

In his work as general manager and president of hockey operations for the Florida Panthers, the hockey lifer has carefully built a staff and a team that has become the toast of the NHL.

But even with the Panthers, fresh off winning their first Stanley Cup in June, preparing for a third straight trip to the Eastern Conference Final, he’s found time to build another team.

Launched in March with the American Cancer Society (ACS), Zito and his wife, Julie, created Panthers on the Prowl, a new fundraising captain to support cancer research.

On Thursday, the initiative landed one of its biggest additions to date.

None other than GRAMMY® Award-winning, multi-platinum superstar entertainer Michael Bublé.

“I’ve joined the prowl because I want to fight against cancer,” Bublé said in a video released on social media. “Panthers on the Prowl is a creative and really cool and uplifting way to demonstrate and show our support to those that are suffering and keeping this fight going.”

Like Bublé, cancer, as it has for so many others, has touched Zito’s family.

In addition to losing family members to the disease, including his sister and mother, Zito’s wife, Julie, is a breast cancer survivor and has been both a partner and inspiration in his fight.

Most recently, Zito lost a friend to cancer on May 16.

“One of the reasons I wanted to do this was because a friend of mine got sick two years ago, and we lost him on Friday,” Zito said. “We have an ability to not only fight to end this disease, but to honor a lot of the folks who’ve had to suffer from it. It’s in all of our families and all of our friendships. It makes me more determined not to achieve a goal for the goal’s sake, but to achieve a goal to bring people together.”

In many ways, togetherness is at the heart of the campaign.

While Bublé is the latest notable celebrity to join Panthers on the Prowl, he isn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last to be inspired by Zito’s passion for the very special cause.

Looking within as well as outside of the hockey world, Nick and Joey Bosa, brothers and defensive stars in the NFL, both committed to buying a panther in April, while world famous artist Romero Britto will be designing a panther that will be auctioned off for the cause.

Zito might have made his career in hockey, but this new venture must grow beyond it.

“It’s a community thing,” Zito said. “Cancer doesn’t target. It affects everybody.”

Inspired by Chicago's famous Cows on Parade, each donor to Panthers on the Prowl will receive a blank life-sized panther sculpture to effectively design in any way they’d like to.

With many panthers sold and more on the way -- both by celebrity donors and everyday heroes -- the campaign will culminate with a big event at a Panthers game next season.

Following the event, the plan is for these sculptures to be displayed in key locations across South Florida to inspire strength, resilience and the ongoing united effort to defeat cancer.

“They’re excited,” Zito said of the early donors. “They’re saying, ‘When can I display it? When can I show it?' That, to me, is almost like a big circular process. People want to help, they want to contribute, we’re raising money, we’re doing some good, and we’re pulling people together. It’s fun and there’s creativity. It’s not all dark and dire. It’s really special.”

Just as the Panthers fight in the NHL, these panthers will help the fight against cancer.

With the ultimate goal of raising $1 million to fight cancer, proceeds will help the American Cancer Society’s mission of improving the lives of those battling cancer and their families to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer.

Just as cancer can affect anyone, anyone can also help fight back against it.

“It’s fulfilling,” Zito said of joining the prowl. “You’re thinking, ‘I hope people will want to buy into this.’ Then all of the sudden, there’s an overwhelming swell of support. There’s a range of emotions that comes with it. It’s a special event and I feel lucky to be a part of it.”

Just as he sells players on playing for the Panthers, Zito is now pitching the prowl.

And if there’s someone out there that isn’t on board just yet, there’s an easy explanation.

To take some creative licensing with one of Bublé’s famous lyrics.

They just haven’t met him yet.

To purchase a panther or for more information, click HERE.