“It’s just amazing”, said an exhausted Amy Lesakowski just moments after walking off the ice following the closing ceremony for the 11 Day Power Play Community Shift event. The long ordeal and massive fundraising undertaking, in its second year, went over the top of its fundraising goal and collected $1.25 million to support cancer research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The final shift on the ice Sunday included many of the original 11 Day Power Play skaters from a year ago and many notables including former Sabres Michael Peca, Andrew Peters and the Buffalo Beauts. As the game clocked ticked down, Sabres play by play announcer Dan Dunleavy called the action and ended the emotional event with a ten second countdown that was followed by resounding applause from the crowd and players shaking hands that all preceded an emotional closing ceremony.
Amy Lesakowski, a cancer survivor, said, “the love in this rink over the past 11 days is just amazing”. Lesakoswki expects the $1.25 million number to grow in the coming days as more money still comes in and she says it’s all for cancer research and wellness programs and it all stays local.