Youth Hockey Raises $20K for Kids Fighting Cancer

When 8-year-old Lilley Sloniker stepped onto the ice to drop the puck at Glacier Ice Arena in Vernon Hills, Illinois, she wasn't just starting a hockey game. She was celebrating hope in the middle of her own battle with leukemia.

The Ice Dogs Hockey Association hosted their first "Puck Cancer" fundraiser on January 9-10, bringing together 15 youth hockey teams for exhibition matches that meant so much more than the final score. Over 800 attendees packed the arena for a weekend of hockey, head shaving, and community support that raised over $20,000 for St. Baldrick's Foundation, a nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research.

The event doubled the organizers' original goal. Every dollar raised goes toward life-saving research that has already made a difference: since 2000, the five-year survival rate for childhood cancer has climbed from 79% to 85%.

Michael Goldfine, an Ice Dogs coach and former player who survived acute lymphoblastic leukemia as a child, addressed the crowd during the fundraiser. "As a pediatric cancer survivor, it is an honor to do something for kids going through an experience similar to mine with the hockey organization that gave me so much support following my diagnosis," he said.

Players, coaches, parents, and community members lined up at head-shaving stations throughout the weekend, participating in St. Baldrick's signature tradition. The Nicholas Family of Companies and Spectate Group, which operates Glacier Ice Arena, helped make the event possible.

For Lilley, who was diagnosed in April 2024 at just 6 years old, the weekend brought an extra gift. The arena presented her with her first pair of figure skates and an 11-week "Learn to Skate" program, giving her something to look forward to when she completes treatment this summer.

The Ripple Effect

The Ice Dogs fundraiser joins a growing movement in suburban Chicago. Last March, the Vernon Hills Police Department shaved their heads as Team Lilley, raising additional funds for St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Over the past two decades, Chicago area St. Baldrick's events have raised more than $61.6 million for childhood cancer research. Nationwide, the foundation has funded over $369 million in research that's giving kids like Lilley better odds every year.

The Ice Dogs Hockey Association, a Tier II youth travel program, serves players ages 8-18 across the Northern Illinois Hockey League. Their mission focuses on player development with strong community and family values, something they proved extends far beyond teaching kids to skate.

When a community comes together, children fighting the toughest battle of their young lives discover they're not alone on the ice.