Mars Hockey Club rallies at ALS charity game to raise money, awareness
MARSHALL TWP, Allegheny County — When two hockey teams hit the ice Monday night, Feb. 2, the most important thing wasn’t winning or losing.
The Mars Hockey Club played against the West Allegheny Hockey Association at its annual ALS charity game at Baierl Toyota Ice Complex. Proceeds for the night were donated to the ALS Association of Western Pennsylvania.
While admission to the game was free, the club also offered a raffle with prizes ranging from gift cards to autographed sports memorabilia. In 2025, the event raised more than $6,000, but the club aimed even higher this year.
Brian Crowley, chairman of the ALS Charity Game Committee, said, while he always has been told every dollar counts when it comes to funding ALS research and treatment, the event also serves to raise awareness and educate people on what ALS is and is not.
“As much as anything, the awareness, the signs, people knowing of this disease and this cause, you can’t even quantify dollarwise. There’s so many terrible diseases and so many good causes, so getting this in front of people is important,” he said.
Crowley’s family was personally affected by ALS a few years ago when his father-in-law died from the disease. He said the ALS association was a big help toward improving his father-in-law’s quality of life.
“I can personally attest that they do absolutely wonderful work with people with ALS. I’ve seen it live. I’ve seen it in my home. We know that whatever we raise here goes to a good cause,” he said.
Delilah Lopez from the ALS association attended Monday’s game, and said the association’s work is split across three categories: advocacy, research and patient care.
She said the association is the number one funding source for ALS research.
“Our care services team works directly with patients and families from diagnosis to families transitioning after a loss,” she said. “The average life expectancy from diagnosis is two to five years with ALS.”
Lopez said events like this help to bring the community together and recognize loved ones with the disease, while also raising funds and awareness to keep the mission alive.
“(Events) help create brand awareness for us and critical funds needed to do all our work,” she said. “The ALS association and ALS community at large is really about community building and surrounding ourselves with people going through what they’re going through.”
The event was started by a former club player and student, Jared Kolarcik-Schmidt, as a way of following in his mother’s footsteps. Christi Kolarcik is a research assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who focuses on ALS research.
While Kolarcik-Schmidt was unable to attend Monday’s game, Kolarcik came to show support to her son’s former team and the initiative. She said its been amazing for both her and her son to see the event grow each year.
“He’s really grateful that the Mars hockey board at first just let him do it. He’s so grateful for the players behind him that have just kept it going. It’s really cool to see something that’s bigger than you,” she said.
She said community events are a critical way of raising funds for research and serve as a reminder that ALS is not a rare disease and affects almost every community.
“Funding for research is really difficult now, especially for people who have their own labs that want to make a difference in things like this, so community events like this inspire researchers just as much as, hopefully, research findings inspire the community,” Kolarcik said.
