Hockey game to raise awareness for suicide prevention at Deer Lakes School District

The Deer Lakes Hockey Club wants more people to be more aware of suicide and how it can be prevented.

On Sunday, the club will host its inaugural Maura C. Rupprecht Alumni Hockey Game at the Frozen Pond Arena in Middlesex Township. All proceeds will be used to fund additional mental health awareness and care programs at the Deer Lakes School District.

“I made it a priority to work with our club board to do this event,” club President Pietro Porco said.

Maura C. Rupprecht was a Deer Lakes High School sophomore who died by suicide in March. She was 16.

“We just want this to be a successful event so that we can make a difference in many ways, just in awareness, and support our school into bringing some things in that could be helpful to the kids,” said Maura’s mother, Molly Rupprecht. “Her friends are juniors now. We would like to get something in there soon so that they could benefit from it before they go off to college or whatever they go into.”

Maura is connected to the hockey club through her brother, Mitchell, who used to be a member. He will be participating in the event, Porco said.

“Hockey was a huge part of our life. The baby sister, Maura, got dragged to everything. Her first outing, I think she was 10 days old, was a hockey game,” Molly Rupprecht said. “She was around the rink a lot.”

The 2 p.m. event includes three hockey games, an appearance by Pittsburgh Penguins mascot Iceburgh, raffle baskets, vendors, refreshments and awards.

Mental health professionals from different organizations will be available to share information about suicide prevention. Those organizations include Services for Teens At Risk (STAR-Center), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Shape the Sky and the Pennsylvania Network for Student Assistance Services.

There will be prizes such as Penguins tickets, a football signed by former Pittsburgh Steeler halfback Rocky Bleier and a hockey puck signed by Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz.

The goal for the event is $5,000.

“We have a lot of people who are making donations,” Porco said. “We have medics that are working the event for us. That’s a field where suicide has a high rate. They understood our cause and they decided to donate their time. Our referees are donating their time. The Frozen Pond Arena provided some practice ice for us by donation.

“This is a cause that a lot of people are able to get behind because they realize that there are people out there that need help, and they have a warm and large heart. They want to help in any way that they can.”

The games will be played by four teams made up of a combination of Deer Lakes hockey alumni and high school students. The four teams will face off against one other in two games. The winners of those games will play in the championship game.

Porco said all the players are wearing different colored jerseys that bear the number 1, which was Maura’s jersey number on the high school varsity soccer team. Inside each number one are the words: “All for one.”

“I really like that because not only are we all coming together because of Maura, but we’re all coming together for each other, for our community, for our school, for other people struggling,” Molly Rupprecht said.

The colors of the teams are green, yellow, teal and purple. Green and yellow are the school district’s colors. Teal and purple represent suicide prevention awareness. Teal also was Maura’s favorite color, Porco said.

“That’s obviously going to be the color that her brother wears,” Porco said.