T-Birds look to score support for Kent Relay for Life

Seattle Thunderbirds center Tyler Alos is putting aside his hockey sticks to run for a cause.

T-Bird players and the Thunderbirds Community Sports Foundation have teamed up in support of the Kent Relay for Life on Friday and Saturday at French Field.

The Kent Relay for Life starts 6 p.m. Friday at French Field, next to Kent-Meridian High School. Alos will run the track for a minimum of one hour at the start of the Relay For Life.

“I was presented an opportunity to participate in the Kent Relay for Life and really wanted to and felt I needed to,” Alos said. “I’ve been blessed with good health for most of my life, so the least I can do is spend a day at the event and a month fundraising for those who are less fortunate than myself.”

Alos and the foundation are raising money for cancer research in two ways. Fans can make a straight donation by going to the T-Birds Kent Relay for Life website. Fans also can call T-Birds account executive Jason Pouliott at 253-856-6844 to pledge a dollar amount for every lap Alos runs.

“My goals are to raise as much money as possible and to just have a good time,” Alos said. “My personal goals are to last six hours around the track going as many laps as possible before I physically can’t go anymore, but mostly I want to have a lot of fun and raise some money.”

Fans interested in joining the Thunderbirds Relay for Life team to walk the track at French Field can register on the Relay For Life website.

The T-Birds are encouraging fans to come out to the field and help support the T-Birds/Alos team with their cheers and enthusiasm.

“Fans and supporters can pledge a dollar amount for every lap I run/walk around the track,” Alos said. “I’ll be taking pictures with fans and just having a good time trying to raise a lot of money for a good cause.”

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease by raising money.

“I just want to show those with cancer who survived their battle’s that they’re not alone and that there are a whole lot of people who want this horrible disease gone, too,” Alos said.

Relay teams camp out at French Field and take turns walking or running around the track.

“I think it’s important for the Kent community to participate in this walk because, one way or another, we have all been affected by cancer,” Alos said. “To have an event where we can all come together and fight back against cancer, I think, is a pretty remarkable thing.

“This truly, is to me, the meaning of a community. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anyone there, you’re all there for the same reason. It brings people closer and I think that’s important in a community.”