Auction set for Lemieux Foundation jerseys

The Phantoms are raising money with their Jan. 10 sweaters.

BOARDMAN — The Mahoning Valley Phantoms will begin an auction of game-worn special edition jerseys on Saturday at MVPPhantoms.com, with the proceeds going to benefit the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

On Jan. 10, the Phantoms will sponsor Mario Lemieux Foundation Night as they take on the Motor City Machine at the Chevrolet Centre in downtown Youngstown.

After the game, there will be an auction of the Phantoms’ special edition Foundation jerseys that they will wear during that game.

Lemieux, the Pittsburgh Penguins owner and Hockey Hall of Famer, has seen the uniforms and says that fans who bid on them will be in for a treat.

“The Foundation jerseys for the fundraiser look great, and the auction winners are going to be excited to have a unique item like this,” Lemieux said.

Because the Phantoms understand that some fans may not be able to attend that game, the team is offering those fans a chance to make early bids on their favorite players’ jerseys.

Bids will be accepted starting Saturday at 10 a.m. Anyone making an advance bid will be given the opportunity to make bids in the postgame auction via telephone with Phantoms staff members.

The jerseys’ main color is white, with the Penguins’ signature black and gold on the sides of the torso and the Mario Lemieux Foundation logo centered on the chest.

The sleeves are white with gold-trimmed black numbers and a black “bottom” from the underarm to the wrist and a patch of gold above the wrist on “top” of the sleeve. The numbers on the back of the jersey also will be black trimmed in gold.

The Phantoms logo appears to the top left of the Foundation logo on the chest.

Bob Mainhardt, Phantoms Head Coach and General Manager, said the team is thrilled to be partnering with the Mario Lemieux Foundation.

“This is a foundation that really tugs at your heart strings because it helps kids that are in need,” Mainhardt said. “Any time you can help out an organization like that, it’s a special moment for anyone.

“Couple that with a name like Mario Lemieux and what a fine human being he is, it will be a great night that the players and the fans will remember for the rest of their lives,” Mainhardt said.

The main objective of the Mario Lemieux Foundation is to fund promising medical research projects.

Among the donations made by the Foundation was a $5 million gift to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to establish the Mario Lemieux Centers for Patient Care and Research in 2001 and a $2 million gift to the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh in 2005.

The Phantoms return to action Friday with a 7:05 p.m. faceoff in Traverse City, Mich., against the second-place North Stars.