SUNRISE, Fla. — Ahead of Saturday's Florida Panthers game, the team announced a special jersey auction to help raise money for a good cause.
Called the Conservation Jerseys, the money raised will go toward raising awareness and money for the endangered Florida panther.
The defending Stanley Cup champions found themselves on a two-game win streak heading into Saturday's game with the Carolina Hurricanes.
While looking to continue their winning streak, the team dedicated Saturday's matchup to helping the state's official animal.
"Panther Conservation Night is one of our biggest nights of the year. The endangered Florida Panther is an extremely important part. It's our namesake, and we can use our platform as a team tonight," John Colombo, the vice president of the Florida Panthers Foundation.
During the game, fans could stop by the concourse and visit tables to learn more about the endangered Florida panther through nonprofit organizations such as Everglades Outpost, Conservation Florida, Path of the Panther Project and the fStop Foundation.
Fans could also stop by the team store and purchase jerseys, t-shirts and pucks, with the money benefiting panther conservation research.
The team did an auction for the conservation night jerseys that Dave Lavernia, a South Florida Cuban-American artist, designed.
"I got the call, and then a week later, I got a contract, and then a week after that, I started drawing," Lavernia said. "Now I'm at the game in my jersey. This is wild."
Lavernia knows a lot about the importance of the panther to South Florida and believes it's an honor to be given such a task.
"Seeing how much money is going into the auction behind the jerseys, it's more than I could ever do painting a panther. It's really such a full-circle effort, and for me, it's just been huge," Lavernia said.
The Panthers also defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on the ice, 6-0, to win their third straight game.
