SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede is gearing up for a night of hockey and conversations about mental health.
If there was one thing Brittany Corcoran loved– it was hockey.
"Hockey was a huge part of our life. Brittany was a five-foot-two goalie. So she was teeny tiny, an
d her nickname was Ninja. And that's how Fight like a Ninja came about," Fight Like a Ninja, Angela Drake said.
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But besides her hockey escapades, Brittany struggled with her mental health. She took her own life just days before her 18th birthday.
Fight Like a Ninja and the Stampede are coming together to host Hockey Talks Night.
"There are a lot of times I think everyone sees the glamour and the goals and celebrations and thinks that everybody's life is going well. And for us to shed some light that, you know, there are people that might need some help and more importantly, those who maybe are looking for help, that they know that there's a platform– there are options available out there," Stampede President Jim Olander said.
Players will wear special warmup jerseys that will be auctioned off to help raise money for Fight Like A Ninja.
"You can bid on them throughout the game. We're actually going to extend it all the way through tomorrow night's game," Olander said.
While this is the third year for Hockey Talks Night, this year they have a new event. Similar to the Teddy Bear toss, they are having a Sock Toss.
"We're encouraging fans to bring fun socks, maybe some ninja ones, that we will throw out onto the ice after the first goal. Those socks will then be collected and put a little note from someone who cares and delivered to those patients in behavioral health to bring a smile to their face," Drake said.
Helping to start conversations about mental health, in memory of Brittany.
"My mama's vision of how she would feel about all this is that we're helping so many people and keeping her light shining and using this sport that we all love to start these conversations," Drake said.
Click here to bid on jerseys. ...read more read less
