A hockey play-by-play broadcaster, Joey Pitt, is raising money for BC Children’s Hospital in memory of one of his best friends, along with help from his B.C. Hockey League club.
Pitt, who works for the Surrey Eagles Junior “A” hockey club, has raised $6,200, so far, that will be donated to the hospital’s Wigs for Kids organization.
“This all starts with my best friend Avery. In the summer of 2019, he had a tumour that began growing on his neck. He got it checked out and he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” Pitt told Global News.
“When he started treatment, I joked with him that I would donate my hair to him. When he took a turn for the worse in July of 2022, I had the chance to talk to him about the fundraiser. One of the last things he ever told me was that he was proud of me.”
The fundraiser has been running all season long for the Surrey Eagles, with Pitt capping the fundraiser where he will be cutting off his long hair on March 19 on the ice during the second intermission.
The Eagles and Pitt’s goal is to raise $15,000 by March 19, and recently Pitt said an anonymous donor will be matching donations up to $5,000.
Joey’s friend Avery Miller passed away on July 30, 2022.
Wigs for Kids BC said it has been handcuffed in terms of holding fundraisers due to the pandemic and initiatives like Pitt’s fundraiser is big for the organization.
“We are so grateful to Joey and the Surrey Eagles hockey team for raising funds and awareness to the Wigs for Kids BC program,” Bev Friesen said, a Wigs for Kids BC chairperson.
“We really struggled during the two years we couldn’t fundraise due to COVID and to have people do this for us is so very helpful.
“We are going to get back on track and help B.C. kids, and their families, thanks to people like Joey and the Surrey Eagles organization. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
People can donate to the fundraiser through an online portal webpage.
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