GRAND RAPIDS – Van Andel Institute announced a statewide initiative to empower supporters in communities, schools and other organizations to increase cancer awareness and raise funds for cancer research with the launch of Purple Community.

The program builds on grass roots efforts undertaken by more than 40 schools, professional teams and community organizations in West Michigan since 2009 to raise awareness, celebrate cancer survivors, honor loved ones, and raise funds for cancer research at Van Andel Institute (VAI) through Purple Game events. The color purple is associated with cancer awareness and cancer survivors.

Purple Community counts on the support of cancer survivors, their friends and neighbors, and other supporters statewide, and offers the opportunity to mobilize at the grass-roots level with the goals of organizing more than 50 Purple Game events throughout the state of Michigan in hopes of raising $400,000 dollars for cancer research in 2012.

The first official Purple Community Purple Game will be hosted by the Grand Rapids Griffins this Saturday, February 18 at Van Andel Arena as they take on the Peoria Rivermen.

?Purple Community is unique in that it offers not just the opportunity to give, but the opportunity to become involved by organizing and volunteering for events and mobilizing supporters,? said VAI Vice President of Development and Communications Love Collins, III. ?This movement started as a spontaneous outpouring of grass roots support. We will assess the program on a strategic, state-wide level in 2012 and consider the possibility of moving it to an even larger-scale to empower survivors and support cutting-edge research.?

?Our past and future participants in VAI Purple Games are all part of a community of cancer survivors and cancer research supporters,? Collins said. ?Purple Community is about hope ? one hundred percent hope.?

Beginning with a women?s soccer event at Grandville High School in April, 2009, dedicated to a player?s mother who has died of melanoma, devoted community members, fans, athletes, educators, and students have hosted more than 60 Purple Game events, sold more than 25,000 purple t-shirts, and raised nearly $300,000 for cancer research at Van Andel Institute.

?The funds from the original Purple Game were greatly appreciated and put to good use,? said VAI Chairman and CEO David Van Andel. ?But of even greater significance was the inspiration derived from the enthusiasm, dedication and joy of 3,000 members of the community coming together to work for such an important cause.?

Organizers of the new initiative plan events throughout the entire state in 2012, and hope to reach as many as 250,000 people with the event. The first official Purple Community event takes place this Saturday, February 18. When fans arrive for the 7 p.m. Grand Rapids Griffins Purple Game to benefit cancer research, they?ll notice a host of purple touches that will create awareness and unique experiences throughout the night, including:

? Purple jerseys that will be worn by the Griffins, autographed and auctioned to the public in the Fifth Third Bank Vault restaurant after the game, with proceeds benefiting VAI;

? 10,000 purple T-shirts that will await fans in their seats;

? 2,500 white and purple rally towels that will be given away at the turnstiles;

? Purple polo shirts worn by the Griffins? staff;

? Purple concession items such as cotton candy, sno cones, popcorn and cupcakes;

? Purple VAI logos embedded in the arena?s ice surface;

? Purple game production elements, including songs, videos and LED graphics.

Four-year-old Clayton Kendall, a two-time cancer survivor from Grant, Mich., will drop the ceremonial puck before the game, and a salute to cancer survivors will take place during the first intermission. During the second intermission, one-of-a-kind speed painter Dan Dunn will take center ice to create a portrait of a famous personality that will be auctioned at a later date through VAI.

Fans who?d like to attend the game and support fundraising for cancer research can order their tickets online and use a special promotional code that will allocate $3 of their ticket price to VAI. Visit griffinshockey.com/promocode and enter the code ?purple.? One hundred percent of the funds raised through the Purple Game will go directly to laboratory research at VAI.

From now through Feb. 18, the Griffins and VAI are ?purpling out? their web sites (griffinshockey.com), Facebook pages (facebook.com/grgriffins) and Twitter pages (twitter.com/griffinshockey) to call attention to this special night. The team is also offering prizes ? including an overnight stay at the Downtown Courtyard by Marriott ? to fans who change their profile picture to a ?Purple Game? badge, or who post on its wall or tweet about the game.

See VAI Website, Facebook page, and Twitter links below ? or for more information, click on vai.org

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