Islanders are honoring Capalbo on Saturday
Team is hosting marrow donor registry drive
Fairfield’s Charlie Capalbo is still changing lives almost two years after he died at the end of four long battles with cancer. Saturday night, his family hopes to help save others’ lives.
NMDP (formerly National Marrow Donor Program) and the Bridgeport Islanders will host a registry drive at Total Mortgage Arena on Saturday as the Islanders face the Hartford Wolf Pack. The drive, swabbing cheeks, will be in the arena’s Harbor Club on the main concourse.
“All fans 18-35 years old are welcome and encouraged to participate with the help of the National Marrow Donor Program,” the team said in an online post. The drive starts at 6 p.m., one hour before the AHL game begins, and runs through the second intermission.
Capalbo’s brother, Will, donated marrow to Charlie three times in his fight. The brothers both played goalie
for the Fairfield co-op high school boys hockey team, which retired their No. 30 last year.
The Islanders are selling $24.24 ticket packages available through the arena box office and online, or contact Sam Provost at 203-345-4825 for more information. The package includes a seat, a parking pass, a hat and a concessions discount, and a portion of each ticket sale will go to the Jimmy Fund.
Team employees got swabbed Thursday at the arena to promote the event.
Capalbo’s story, battling lymphoma and leukemia while spending 745 nights in hospitals, inspired the hockey world here and beyond, up to and past his death on April 24, 2022. His family has worked since to raise money and awareness for cancer patients and research.