FLORENCE, SC (WMBF) – Coastal Carolina University’s men’s hockey team faced off against the Myrtle Beach Fire Department in their first charity game at the Florence Center.
The fundraising event aimed to help cover out-of-pocket costs for life-saving cancer screenings for local firefighters. Firefighters face elevated cancer risks due to their profession.
“When we first did this we were expecting a couple people but not anything like this. I mean the atmosphere was awesome. So many people came out and all the money is going to a great cause. It was a lot of fun out there we all had a good time,” said CCU hockey player Connor Pacheco.
The rink filled with friends, family, and other local departments who came to watch the first responders take the ice.
“It’s really helpful for us in the fire department because cancer is very prone sickness that we do get here. The coastal kids loved it they jumped right on board and we will do this again next year,” said Matt Chiarizio, MBFD hockey captain and master firefighter.
Pacheco, who serves as CCU’s alternate captain, said it means a lot to fundraise for local first responders and that they are the real heroes.
Coastal Carolina won the game after three periods, but organizers emphasized the event was about community support rather than the final score. Chiarizio said they plan to learn from this year’s event to make next year even better and bigger.
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