Awareness Nights & Specialty Jersey Auctions

The IceHogs Community Fund's signature charity fundraiser is the annual Live Jersey Auction. A tradition which began during the IceHogs inaugural season in 1999-2000, for a game near the end of each regular season, the team wears special jerseys that get auctioned off live following the game. Jersey designs have often centered around the IceHogs’ mascot Hammy and themes have ranged from St. Patrick’s Day Hammy to Hammysaurus Rex to First Responder Hammy. In 2021, the pattern diverted from Hammy for the first time to honor one of the Stateline area's earliest semi-professional hockey teams, the Wagon Wheel Cardinals.

Over the years, the IceHogs have raised over one million dollars through the Live Jersey Auction to help local non-profit organizations, including The Autism Program, Special Olympics, March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Boys and Girls Clubs of Rockford, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, Jr. IceHogs hockey program, the Bryan and Amanda Bickell Foundation, and the Greg Lindmark Foundation.

In addition to the Live Jersey Auction, the IceHogs annually host special theme nights to raise awareness for important causes while also raising money for local organizations that support those causes. Awareness nights often include a specialty jersey silent auction as the primary method of fundraising. Examples from recent years include Autism Awareness Night and Hockey Fights Cancer. Last year alone, the IceHogs raised over $33,000 on Autism Awareness Night with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Autism Program of Easterseals, and raised over $22,000 on Hockey Fights Cancer Night with a portion of proceeds donated to the SwedishAmerican Foundation.