Salvation Army And FPL Employees To Benefit From New 'Fans Care Program'

SUNRISE, FL - Sunrise Sports & Entertainment vice president of ticket sales R.J. Martino has announced the formation of "Fans Care," a new program designed to enable members of the community to sponsor local heroes from the Salvation Army and Florida Power & Light to attend Florida Panthers or Florida Pit Bulls home games at the BankAtlantic Center free of cost.

"Fans Care is a unique opportunity for members of the South Florida community to say thank you to all the hardworking men and women of the Salvation Army and FPL for their tremendous efforts since Hurricane Wilma," Martino said. "We want our local Salvation Army and FPL workers to experience a Florida Panthers hockey game or a Florida Pit Bulls basketball game as a small reward for their exceptional work. This is the perfect opportunity for businesses to give our local heroes an experience that they'll never forget."

Donation prices and additional information on how to participate in the Fans Care program are available by calling (954) 835-7825. The program will run through the Tuesday, Dec. 13 game vs. the Nashville Predators with a 7 p.m. start time presented by BankAtlantic.

There is an incredible slate of games to look forward to in November. First, the Southeast Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes visit the BankAtlantic Center for a huge rivalry game. Then just over a week later the Panthers face-off with Alexei Yashin and the New York Islanders on Saturday Nov. 19 at 7:30.

Later in the month the Cats bookend the Thanksgiving holiday with a pair of great games. First there's the stellar goaltending match-up between Cats G Roberto Luongo and New Jersey netminder Martin Brodeur when the Panthers host the Devils on Nov. 23. Then, on Nov. 25 rookie sensation Sidney Crosby visits the BankAtlantic Center for the first time with Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The spectacular month of hockey concludes when the Panthers welcome star center Eric Lindros and the Toronto Maple Leafs to the BankAtlantic Center on Monday, Nov. 28.

The Pit Bulls will provide South Florida with fast paced, high-caliber professional basketball. Fans attending the games will enjoy interactive activities, in-game promotions and autograph sessions. Additionally, after each home game as part of ABA Entertainment, the Pit Bulls will host a concert featuring some of the hottest hip-hop, R&B and Latin recording artists in the country.