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OHL's Frontenacs auction special jerseys, raise $73,383.98 for Gord Downie Fund

Frontenacs raise over $73,000 for cancer research

KINGSTON, Ont. — The Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs recently paid tribute to hometown band The Tragically Hip while also raising a large sum of money for frontman Gord Downie's charity.

The Frontenacs said on Monday that the junior hockey club raised $73,383.98 for the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research through an online auction of team jerseys from their 1-0 win over the Mississauga Steelheads on Jan. 28.

The online auction consisted of 23 player-worn or prepared jerseys from the game, as well as a raffle of an additional jersey at the game. Winning bids came from across Canada and as far away as Hong Kong.

The special jerseys from "The Tragically Hip" tribute night replaced Kingston's regular team logo with the band's name in a banner across the chest. The jerseys were also covered in song titles of the band's biggest hits and included the band name on the tail on the back.

The highest winning jersey bid was $6,290 for the Josh Supryka's No. 16 jersey. while the No. 60 jersey worn by goaltender Jeremy Helvig brought in $5,120.

Downie revealed last May that he has glioblastoma, an incurable and rare form of brain cancer.

The Hip's "Man Machine Poem" tour became Canada's hottest summer ticket last year after Downie's announcement, and the band's climactic final show came in Kingston, their hometown, at the Rogers K-Rock Centre. 

 

The Canadian Press