Sea Wolves Announce Plans for Saecond Annual Pink in the Rink
January 6, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL) Mississippi Sea Wolves

Mississippi Sea WolvesBILOXI, MS - The Mississippi Sea Wolves announced at a press conference today the details of the team's second annual Pink In The Rink game, which will be held on February 7, 2009 when the Sea Wolves host the Cincinnati Cyclones at 7:05 p.m.

"We're very excited to announce that we are having a Pink In The Rink event this year," said Sea Wolves president Bill Yates. "Last year, we were able to raise over $20,000 that helped fund mammography for more than 170 local women through the Memorial Hospital Foundation's Sea Wolves Breast Cancer Imaging Fund, and we look forward to even greater success this year."

The Sea Wolves will wear special pink jerseys for the February 7, 2009 game against the Cincinnati Cyclones that will be auctioned off after the game. Additionally, goaltender Ryan Munce will wear a special goalie mask, donated by Tony Spriolo and Sportmask of Toronto, Ontario, that has been painted by local artist Jay Livery "Jay's Graf-x" and will be auctioned off after the game.

Fans will be able to purchase pink Sea Wolves t-shirts and a limited number of replica pink jerseys will be available at the Sea Wolves merchandise stand on the concourse.

The proceeds of the sale of special Pink In The Rink merchandise as well as the jersey auction will benefit the Memorial Hospital Foundation's Sea Wolves Breast Cancer Imaging Fund, which helps pay for mammography and other forms of breast cancer imaging for those on the Mississippi Gulf Coast who cannot afford it.

Masks Of Mississippi
Sea Wolves Exec Hopes Katrina Art Gives Biloxi Emotional Lift

By Jim Davis

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Sea Wolves’ Return, Katrina Masks Are Welcomed Diversions

Jo Richardson, whose home was leveled along with 49 others when Hurricane Katrina swept 24 feet of floodwater into their subdivision just north of Biloxi, is all about the return of the Mississippi Sea Wolves and Chris Birch’s “Masks of Mississippi” and “Fans4Fans” projects.
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Ron Slater’s colorful mask depict’s the fishing industry, the damage it sustained and its recovery progress.

Anybody who has ever played organized hockey, or spent pre-dawn hours at the frigid local rink watching their child practice, or held season tickets to the local pro team’s games, appreciates the tie that binds the hockey community.
The noted Canadian hockey writer Roy MacGregor, writing in “The Home Team,” his book about the close relationship between pro hockey players and their fathers, noted that “hockey makes us all family.”
Recognizing that hockey fans are linked by their passion for the sport, Chris Birch of the ECHL’s Mississippi Sea Wolves, who are back on ice after two years on the sidelines as a result of the devastating blow Hurricane Katrina dealt to Biloxi and much of the Gulf Coast in 2005, has come up with companion projects related to the hurricane and its aftermath that he hopes will give Biloxians a much needed emotional boost.

The “Masks of Mississippi” and “Fans4Fans” will commemorate the Katrina experience, let the rest of North America know that the Gulf Coast is rallying, and give underprivileged youngsters and volunteer workers a free ticket to a Sea Wolves game and a break from the rigors of rebuilding.
As part of Masks of Mississippi, Birch, the Sea Wolves’ marketing manager, has rounded up nine artists to create 11 custom designs depicting scenes from the hurricane and its aftermath. Their artwork is being applied to 11 professional quality goalie masks.
“Fans4Fans” will give hockey enthusiasts across the country a chance to send a Gulf Coast child or a Katrina volunteer to a Sea Wolves game this season.

“The idea was to create something that could tell a story, pay tribute to those who came to aid, and provide an outlet for sports fans nationwide to directly help coast families to once again experience and enjoy the benefits of attending professional sporting events,” says Birch, who has pulled together the Masks of Mississippi and Fans4Fans projects on his own time.

Artist John Pepe went the extra mile by painting the inside of the mask.

“I saw the impact the Saints played in lifting the spirits in New Orleans,” he continues. “The Saints were celebrated as ‘America’s Team’ last year and played a direct role in furthering relief support from people nationwide.”

Birch plans to take the masks to minor league and NHL rinks during the 2007-08 season to expose hockey fans throughout the U.S. to the effects of Katrina and the giant strides taken by the Biloxi-area citizenry in what surely will be a years-long struggle for full recovery.
Artist John Pepe’s mask captured the human element of the ravaged Biloxi area and the suffering of its residents.

The masks for the project were made by NXI Defense Systems’ Steve Badger, a mask specialist in Michigan. The artists are Ray Bishop, Eric the Maskman, John Harrow, Jay Livery "Jay's Graf-x "(two masks), Don McClelland, Todd Miska, John Pepe, Ron Slater and Doug Wager (two masks).
Five of the masks have been completed. They:

* Depict the fishing industry, the damage it sustained and its recovery progress.
* Memorialize the police and fire fighters who responded so magnificently to Katrina. (Local policemen and fire fighters are autographing the inside of this mask.)
* Feature the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, home of the Sea Wolves, which was flooded by Katrina. All of the Sea Wolves’ records and archives were destroyed.
* Portray animal rescues that were part of the initial response to Katrina.
* Depict the extent of the devastation wreaked by the hurricane.

Todd Miska memorialized the police and fire fighters who responded so magnificently to Katrina. Local policemen and fire fighters are autographing the inside of this mask..

The latter, a panoramic view of the ravaged Biloxi area and the suffering of its residents created by Pepe, of Pepe Custom Paint in Lambertville, Mich., is intended to elicit an emotional response from the viewer and perhaps encourage the acceleration of the reconstruction process on the Gulf Coast.

Sensitive to striking a balance between the destruction of Katrina and the locals’ efforts to rebuild, Pepe extended his rendering to the inside of the mask with positive images.

“It’s definitely the most important mask I’ve ever painted,” he says. “Painting logos and team themes is fine, and I have done hundreds of those, but the ones that I remember most are those that have some social relevance . . .

“I’m ashamed to admit that I had no idea that things were still in the state they are when Chris (Birch) called me. It wasn’t until I spoke to him and started poking around the Internet for inspiration that the scope of the disaster really hit me.

“There was no question that I wanted to do my part to try to make a difference for the people of Mississippi.”
The Biloxi Lighthouse is the most recognizable man-made landmark of Biloxi, arguably of the Mississippi Coast. It served as a sign of hope and unity as an American flag flew shortly after the storm from the railing on the lighthouse. John Harrow painted this flag mask.

In addition to taking Pepe’s handiwork and that of the other artists on tour, Birch is having a mask poster printed as part of the Fans4Fans program. The poster will be sold during the tour. The proceeds will be used to provide Sea Wolves tickets to Biloxi-are children and volunteers.
Birch hopes the masks and the poster will be ready for the Sea Wolves’ home opener Oct. 27 against the Reading Royals. The Sea Wolves’ first two games are on the road versus the Florida Everblades.
The home opener is expected to be the largest single gathering of Biloxians since Hurricane Katrina. “We’ve already sold more season tickets than for any of our previous nine seasons,” says Birch, “and more than double what we sold before the hurricane.
“The return of the Sea Wolves is one more sign that the Biloxi area is gradually returning to normalcy. To put ice back in 200 yards from the Gulf of Mexico is just amazing.
“Through the Masks of Mississippi, we’re going to share that message with the rest of the national hockey community. We’re hoping they will support the program so we can provide some entertainment and provide a break from the recovery to the children of Biloxi.”