Hockey At Avon
Pink The Rink
On Friday, January 25, the Varsity B Hockey Team took on the Connecticut Chiefs for the seventh annual Pink The Rink game.
To raise funds for the American Cancer Society, the school sold pink t-shirts for $10, offered a dress-down day for $5, and current parent Leeza Desjardins, mother to Sean ’21, hosted a candy sale during the game.
Desjardins was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer while she was pregnant with Sean.
“We were completely caught off guard when I found the lump while I was pregnant,” shared Desjardins. “We decided to have it removed, and during the surgery the doctor knew that it was cancer. We were advised to have the baby 10 days early, and the next day I had more scans done. I had a port inserted for medications and the following week we started chemo.”
Desjardins underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, more surgery to remove lymph nodes, and had radiation every day for two months.
“February 23, 2018, that was my last oncologist appointment,” she shared. “It was a long 15 and a half years, but I feel so blessed. If it wasn't for Sean, I would never have known that I had cancer. Helping the boys celebrate this game was very meaningful. Whatever I can do to help the cause! It was great for the families to pull together and raise $500 just through the concessions!
In addition, the Student Council donated $300 to the game, bringing the total raised this year through Pink the Rink efforts to nearly $3,000.
“Seven years ago when I was coaching Varsity B, I decided to bring a Pink the Rink game to Avon to give the team a showcase game,” explained Athletic Director Geoff Barlow ’98. “It was immediately successful and has remained so throughout the years. It’s always their best-attended game, and the players really look forward to it.”
While this game doesn’t raise the thousands of dollars that Toys for Tots or Pushups For Patriots do, it is always a good-feeling game that the community comes together to support year after year.
“There are always students who have had mothers, aunts, grandmothers, friends, etc. who have battled breast cancer,” commented Barlow. “This is just another way for us to show support as a community.”
New this year are a set of jerseys donated by past parent Tom Healy Jr., father to alumnus Tom III ’16. The new, top-of-the-line jerseys will be kept year after year, ensuring that this tradition of supporting the fight against breast cancer will live on.
Alumni Hockey Weekend Recap
Between Friday, February 8, and Saturday, February 9, alumni spanning from 1964 to 2014 returned to the Avon ice to relive their glory days at the Alumni Face-off games.
Activities kicked-off with a reception on Friday night with words by future headmaster Jim Detora and legendary Coach John Gardner. Together, they set the tone for the weekend sharing news of significant rink renovations and current hockey season highlights. Many reception attendees continued their hockey reunion at The Olive Bar where they were warmly welcomed by owner George Psaras '98.
It was a long night for many on Friday, but that did not keep any of the players from getting to the rink in time for their game on Saturday. Brothers, fathers, and sons were on the ice at the same time. Over the course of two games, Avonians from each decade going back to the 60's played two very competitive hockey games. In the second game, the teams found themselves tied at the end of regulation and earned themselves over time. John Mori '05 scored the game-winner and earned himself MVP accolades for the day. Every player on the ice made us proud of what it means to be part of the legendary Avon Old Farms School hockey program.
The perfect ending of the day was the family skate, which provided a glimpse of what the next generation of Avon hockey might look like.
Photos from the weekend are available here. Please keep an eye out for announcements about future hockey events centered around the renovation project. It is a very exciting time for Avon hockey!