Silvertips visit cancer patients at Providence in Everett
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, November 1, 2017
EVERETT — Tamera Davis wasn’t planning on attending the Everett Silvertips hockey game Friday.
Carter Hart took care of that. The star Silvertips goaltender took it upon himself to leave her a ticket for Friday’s game against Prince George at the box office.
“She said she’s pretty excited,” Hart said. “(It was) just kind of right on the spot. She said she wanted to go, and we always have a couple of tickets set aside so it’s not a problem setting a couple aside for her.”
A total of 15 Everett players joined coaches Dennis Williams and Mitch Love in visiting patients at the Providence Regional Cancer Partnership Tuesday at Providence Hospital.
It was a chance not only to spread awareness for Saturday’s annual “Pink the Rink” game, but to reach out to fans undergoing harrowing medical treatments.
“It’s a lot of fun meeting the young men,” Davis said. “It’s just entertaining.
“I had fun every time I went (to Silvertips games) before,” she continued. “It’s so much energy.”
The players met in the Providence lobby and donned the special “Pink the Rink” jerseys that will be worn Saturday. The jerseys will then be auctioned off with proceeds joining a portion of ticket sales to fund breast health care for Snohomish County women of limited resources.
Then the players visited several floors of the cancer care center, ducking into side rooms and visiting with patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Several staff members wore Silvertips jerseys including clinical pharmacist Renee Curtis, a big Silvertips fan who took up playing recreational hockey five years ago as an adult.
“It’s my favorite day of the year,” Curtis said. “I think the patients love it because it just brightens their day. It’s something different going on here at the cancer center. They see the support the Tips are giving to Providence and to the Cancer Partnership here and make them aware that the game’s even happening and maybe they’ll come out and watch the game.”
A holder of a Silvertips 14-game plan, Curtis fetched a Team Canada jersey bearing Hart’s name and No. 70 for a quick autograph. Other players took turns posing for pictures, signing autographs and chatting with patients.
It’s the third or fourth visit for some Silvertips veterans like Hart and co-captain Kevin Davis, but they’re happy to return each time.
“It’s awesome to see (patients) and tell them about the jersey and the auction and what goes on and how we raise money for Providence Hospital,” Kevin Davis said. “It’s really nice to talk to them and try to make their day a little bit better.”
Hockey is a physically demanding sport that requires just as much off-ice work as on. But visiting a place like the cancer center helps players keep their perceived adversities in perspective.
“You can see coming into a place like this everyone looks up to you and they’re excited that we’re here and puts a smile on their face,” Hart said. “It’s a bit eye-opening and it’s a little bit tough — some of the stuff that they’re going through — but they’re really tough people, and very resilient and I admire (them).
“They battle hard and some of the stuff they have to go through is a lot harder than what we do,” Hart later added. “It makes us realize that you can’t take everything for granted.”
Notes
The Silvertips announced Wednesday they have waived Belarusian forward Pavel Azhgirei. The 2000-born winger appeared in four games with one assist. Everett did not announce a corresponding move to fill its second overage slot. … On the WHL injury report, Hart (mononucleosis) is listed as day-to-day while Dawson Butt is 3-to-5 days with an upper body injury.
