Quartet of Condors events bring in nearly $70,000
Bakersfield, Calif. – The Bakersfield Condors, ECHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, recently wrapped up a busy stretch of collections and fundraising for local non-profit organizations. The St. Patrick’s Day Jersey Off Our Backs Auction, Fighting Cancer Hockey-Thon and Tip-A-Condor combined to bring in nearly $70,000 in cash for three organizations.
In addition, over 1,000 items were donated to the Olive Knolls Christian School in a school supply drive on Mar. 16. The drive, which was sponsored by Wells Fargo, allowed fans to bring books or other needed items to the game to help the school recover from a recent fire, which ravaged much of their elementary and preschool wings.
On Saturday, Mar. 12, the Condors wore special St. Patrick’s Day jerseys for a Jersey Off Our Backs Raffle & Auction, sponsored by 
McDonald’s, benefiting the Ronald McDonald House. After the game, the jerseys were auctioned off at center ice while being modeled by the players, bringing in $18,000. RW Erick Lizon’s jersey fetched the highest amount, bringing in $1,650 by itself.
In its seventh year, Hockey-Thon provides local hockey enthusiasts a chance to take the ice for charity. Participants raise cash to participate in the around-the-clock hockey marathon, and there is also an auction of local goods and jerseys worn during the Hockey-Thon by former Condors players. All together, the event raised $39,000 this season, which was donated to Links for Life, a local breast cancer resource center. Over $273,000 has been raised in the event’s history. The event was sponsored by 29 Eyewitness News and KUZZ 107.9.
Tip-A-Condor, held this past Monday at fishlips, brought in $12,591 for the Kern County Shrine Club, exceeding last season’s total by several thousand dollars. The popular annual event turns Condors players into waiters for the night, collecting tips from the fans. The tips, as well as live and silent auction items, combined to bring in the total. In its 11 year history, Tip-A-Condor has raised over $132,000.
“It was a pretty special month,” said Condors President Matthew Riley. “Our fans always respond, even in tough times, to the chance to help us give back. Don’t forget it was also our annual Blood Drive Month as well, helping raise awareness of the importance of giving blood. So it has definitely been a month of giving in Condorstown!”
Pregame Jersey Auction starts Friday!
The fund
raising hasn’t stopped for the Condors. Starting tonight against Las Vegas, and extending to Saturday’s game as well, the Condors will begin their silent auction for the team’s All-Star Themed pregame warm-up jerseys.
All of the jerseys will be available for bid at stations on the concourse behind section 116, with a new “buy it now” feature that will let fans skip the hassle of haggling and get right to winning! The auction proceeds will benefit the Active 20/30 Club. The Condors look to build on their league-best home record tonight and Saturday night, against Las Vegas, at 7 p.m.
Get Tickets:
Reserve your Kelly Cup Playoff tickets before they go on sale to the general public Monday, Apr. 4. Call the Condors at 324-PUCK(7825) for more information or stay tuned to the Condors official Kelly Cup Playoffs page for details on opponent, dates and game times.
Individual tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster and the Rabobank Arena Box Office. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, with extended hours on game and event days. You can also call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or visit them online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket packages start at just $28! Call the Condors office at 324-PUCK(7825) or go online to www.bakersfieldcondors.com for more information.
