On the ice this season, the Thunder made remarkable strides, reaching the second round of the playoffs for the first time in team history,
coming within one game of the National Conference finals, and thrilling their fans under the direction of new head coach Matt Thomas. Yet it was off the ice, and out in the community at large, that the team made its most important strides, with players and staff devoting countless hours carrying forward the Thunder’s philanthropic mission of improving the lives of people throughout the San Joaquin Valley and beyond. 2008-09 season community highlights: THUNDER GOES PINK III (November 7-8, 2008) In its third year, “Thunder Goes Pink” helped spotlight and raise funds and awareness for local breast cancer treatment and prevention. The event has quickly become the hallmark of the Stockton Thunder’s fundraising efforts. The success of the event has encouraged other teams across the ECHL to have “Pink” events of their own. “Thunder Goes Pink III,” presented by St. Joseph’s Medical Center in association with County Bank and MetroPCS, once again proved to be a rousing success, raising $40,380 in cash, tickets and memorabilia, split evenly between the event beneficiaries (American Cancer Society – Stockton Field Office and the St. Joseph’s Foundation – Breast Cancer Services), raising the three-year total in funds raised through “Pink” to over $113,000. “Our hope is that we’re continuously assisting with a significant contribution in the fight against breast cancer and we’re confident that this year’s total brings us to that goal,” noted Dan Chapman, Thunder president.
COATS FOR KIDS (November 16, 2008)