FORT WAYNE – The Komets have some advice for their younger fans: Get good grades and get to Memorial Coliseum early.
Tonight is Report Card Night, one of the Komets’ most popular – and charitable – promotions.
Kids who earn an “A” grade or equivalent on their report cards, or who present a letter from a teacher or school administrator indicating an acceptable level of academic success, get a free ticket to the game.
This is the 20th year of the event, which was with the defunct Fury of the Continental Basketball Association for eight years before the Komets hired away Scott Sproat to be executive vice president.
It normally draws a sellout crowd. And for “A” students, Comcast makes a donation to The Literacy Alliance. This year, that donation is $5 per student, up to 1,000 students.
Comcast’s donations have totaled more than $265,000 to The Literacy Alliance since the program’s inception.
The Komets were on pace for at least 9,500 fans tonight, so if you’ve got the grades, get to the Coliseum box office early so you can get your reward.
“Of all the initiatives we are involved in, we truly take the most pride in the continued success and impact of Comcast Komet Report Card Night,” Sproat said. “It’s not just about the financial impact to The Literacy Alliance but also the impact that rewarding area students for their academic performance produces. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a student recognized for working hard to be the best that they can be.”
The Turner Conference-leading Komets (28-13-2) play host to the Quad City Mallards (25-18-1).
The Komets, who have won three in a row, are coming off a 4-3 victory Wednesday at second-place Evansville. That was the first of five games in seven days, and 13 in 22, for the Komets.
Center Chris Auger has led the way lately; he is on a three-game goal-scoring streak and has tallied a point in six straight games.
Fort Wayne has won 4 of 5 games against Quad City. Brett Smith, Bobby Chaumont and Artem Podshendyalov all with seven points in those games. Quad City’s Brandon Marino also has seven points in the series, and he leads the CHL in scoring with 28 goals and 61 points in 44 games.
Notes: The fourth Bob Chase Frostbite and Silver Stick Sled Hockey Championship will be Saturday and Sunday at the Lutheran Health SportsCenter. Named after the Komets’ longtime broadcaster, the tournament will have adult and youth teams from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Sled hockey is for people with disabilities. They are strapped into sleds that have a back rest and two skate blades on the bottom. Opening ceremonies will be at 4 p.m. Saturday.
