PORCUPINE PLAIN — The Stanley Cup will be making its way to Porcupine Plain, for the second time in the town’s history, to help raise money for the town’s arena.
Fundraising began last year to replace the arena’s boiler – a project which has a goal of $20,000.
Craig Kriger, the organizer behind the event, said Kelly Chase, a former NHL player and family friend, contacted him and brought up wanting to bring the Stanley Cup to help the town’s arena.
Chase, originally from Porcupine Plain, played for the NHL between 1988 and 2000, with teams including the St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I was kind of hounding Kelly,” Kriger said. “We run an annual hockey draft in November, and I was kind of hitting him up for a donation, and he said to get back later to him in the summer.”
When Chase reconnected with Kriger, he said he didn’t want to just make a donation, but set up a whole fundraiser where he brings the Cup.
“He then got ahold of me and said he wanted to do this as a fundraiser for the arena, for our boiler that is starting to get up there in age and needs to be replaced,” Kriger said.
“Honestly, I can’t thank Kelly enough, when the opportunity came about to bring the Cup here, let the kids see it, get the family involved in it and raise money for the town – it’s just amazing.”
Chase will be alongside the Cup in town, but as of the interview Kriger wasn’t sure of what capacity.
“Kelly and I haven’t really ironed that out yet, but Kelly is a really approachable guy so he would be willing to sit and talk with people, and things like that.”
The event is on Oct. 24, at the Porcupine Plain Community Hall. The doors open at 5 p.m., and pictures with the cup (for a charge) runs from 6 to 9 p.m.
There will be a bar, live auction and a bucket draw.
Kriger’s goal for the event is to raise anywhere between $4,000 to $5,000.
“Then we only have a couple more years to go and we’ll be able to replace that boiler, for sure.”
