Fort Wayne, IN — As the Komets continued their quest for a third consecutive IHL Turner Cup Championship with a victory over the Quad City Mallards in front of 9,290 fans on March 19^th, fans were busy in the lobby placing bids to raise money for the Indiana National Guard Relief Fund.

The Komets paid special tribute to the US ARMY on March 19^th by sporting camouflage US ARMY jerseys.  Fans were given the opportunity to place bids in a silent auction for these one of a kind jerseys, with all of the proceeds donated directly to benefit local soldiers through the Indiana National Guard Relief Fund.  In the end, $ 9,077 was raised, with the highest bid of $ 1,222 for Komet Captain Guy Dupuis’s number 2 jersey.

“We are very appreciative of the generosity of the Fort Wayne Komets Hockey Fans and especially thankful to the US ARMY for their participation in this fantastic event. The money raised from the jerseys will help provide relief to local families in need of assistance through the Indiana National Guard Relief Fund," said Komet Executive Vice President Scott Sproat.  "The Fort Wayne Komets are very fortunate to have caring and supportive Americans as fans who care passionately about making sure the efforts of the brave men and women who serve our country are not forgotten."

The Indiana National Guard Relief Fund was created in 2003 to assist families and service members who have had an adverse financial impact because of their military deployment.  This is accomplished by giving funds to Indiana National Guard service members and their families for limited financial relief.  More than $1.5 million has been awarded to Indiana National Guard Service Members and their families since 2003.

In addition to the festivities on March 19^th during the US ARMY Tribute Night, the Komets currently have another charity jersey auction in progress through their website at www.komets.com.  Select Player Jerseys from his season’s Technology Specialists “Wild Wednesday Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo Jersey Collection” are available for bid by visiting the Komets’ website and placing bids on-line.  That auction continues through April 12^th, with those proceeds to be donated to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.  That charity jersey auction is made possible through the generosity of Technology Specialists… the Official Computer Consultants to Fort Wayne Komet Hockey.

Of course, all of this fundraising activity leads up to the Komets’ End-of-Season Jersey Auction which happens at the conclusion of the 2009-10 IHL Turner Cup Playoffs.  Proceeds from the End-of-Season Jersey Auction are spread-out among numerous local Fort Wayne Area non-profit organizations.

For more information on these or any of the Komets’ community activities and involvements… please visit the Komets on-line at www.komets.com or call the Komets at 260-483-0011.