It has been nearly 17 years since National Hockey League veterans Marcus and Nick Foligno lost their mother, Janis, to breast cancer but despite that this Mother's Day is proving to be extra special for their family.
A little while back the Foligno brothers partnered up with the National Hockey League, National Hockey League Players Association, the V Foudation and Hockey Fights Cancer for a very special initiative where they raised money to battle cancer. That initiative was called the Foligno Face-Off with fans able to donate to their favorite brother in a friendly competition that was of course for a very good cause at the end of the day.
The Folignos have now wrapped up the initiative and have raised over $200,000 in the name of their mother in an effort to prevent any other families from experiencing what they have.
"We're together in this fight and on the ice right now fighting to realize our dream, which is something our mother would want for us so much," said Nick as per NHL.com , "and it's really special to wrap this up on Mother's Day to still be playing and still continue to raise awareness."
If you're wondering which of the brothers won the challenge in the end, this one seems to have been fairly one-sided.
Marcus Foligno
: $109,450.36
Nick Foligno: $63,914.72.
If you've noticed that doesn't quite add up to $200,000 you would be right, but that is simply because all of the donations have yet to be tallied with the real number expected to exceed that mark.
The two men are understandably proud of what they have accomplished here and I have no doubt that mom would be incredibly honored to know that her boys are carrying on her legacy, 17 years after she passed, in such a beautiful manner.
"It's bigger than the game," said Marcus. "It was so cool to be a part of. We're so fortunate Nick and I, our faces were on this whole initiative. To raise $200,000-plus for breast cancer research was the main goal and to do it is really exciting."
That they continued to run the initiative until Mother's Day despite being in a heated battle against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs speak to just how much this meant to the Foligno brothers.
