You have until noon, Jan. 25, to make a difference for coaches who face devastating illness. That’s when the online auction ends of the special North Dakota jerseys worn during its Oct. 13 game with Maine. Each bore the name “Walsh” in honor of cancer-stricken Black Bear coach Shawn Walsh.
We all hope that if some day we find ourselves in need there will be those who lend us a hand. Now it’s time for us to do the lending. It’s time for us as college hockey fans to put our money where our mouth is.
If we appreciate the enjoyment the sport gives us, let’s give something back. The Coaches Foundation, which will receive the funds spent on the jerseys, may have been instituted as the result of Walsh’s illness, but it’s organized to benefit any such coach. This is not the Shawn Walsh Foundation; it’s the Coaches Foundation. If we can’t support coaches in dire need, what does that say about us as fans?
Of course, this isn’t just a donation. Winners in the bidding will have obtained what might become a valuable collectable. These jerseys are a very unique item. It might even make sense to bid out of purely selfish reasons.
However, I’m someone who doesn’t much care about the “collectibles” marketplace. I have many books autographed by my favorite writers and care not one whit what they are worth on the market. I care about their value to me.
I’ll leave it to others to bid on the jerseys as an investment or as a partial tax deduction. I’ll be bidding based on the idea that one of those jerseys would be a very neat thing to have and based even more on the fact that college hockey coaches have given much to the sport and, if facing grave problems, deserve a helping hand.
Whatever your motivation, though, please consider clicking on this link and bidding on the jersey number of your choice.
Do it for the jersey or do it for the cause; just do it.
