The Bridgeport Sound Tigers will be dedicating a game this Sunday to the late West Haven High School Principal, Pamela Gardner, and raising money for a scholarship fund in her name.

Joe Innamorato is one of the staff members from the Sound Tigers who was heavily involved with planning this event. After a few meetings over the span of a few weeks, Mr. Innamorato and his team were able to plan the game and the pre-game ceremony.

“We also arranged for West Haven Youth Hockey’s “Learn to Play” program to play an intermission game on the ice between the 2nd and 3rd period,” Mr. Innamorato said.

Many Westies have been affected by Ms. Gardner’s passing, even if they did not have her as a principal. Mr. Innamorato graduated from West Haven High in 2007, before Ms. Gardner was principal, but he knew “how big of an impact she made on the West Haven community.”

Mr. Innamorato felt he was in a position to help raise money for the Pamela B. Gardner Scholarship fund and to get the West Haven community in one place at one time to “honor and recognize the huge impact she made throughout the city.”

Ms. Gardner was known to bring Girls Scouts and Youth Hockey to Sound Tigers games to raise money and enjoy a game. When Mr. Innamorato presented the idea of this fundraiser to Director of Sales John Reis, and then to the president of the Sound Tigers, they were immediately on board.

Mr. Reis came up with the idea of doing a pre-game ceremony to honor Ms. Gardner and her family. Once Mr. Reis and Mr. Innamorato worked out the logistics of the ceremony and the game they brought the idea to Joe Morrell, the WHHS boys hockey coach, who Mr. Innamorato knew from playing hockey at West Haven High.

Mr. Morrell had the idea of using the money to go towards the Pamela B. Gardner Scholarship Fund, as well as trying to bring out the “Learn to Play” program to make it as “West Haven-centric as possible.”

Mr. Innamorato said the game has a very special meaning to him being born and raised in West Haven.

“Although I live in Milford, West Haven will always be my home,” Mr. Innamorato said. “I am honored to be a part of this event, and to be able to help Pam’s family see how loved and appreciated she was to the entire city.”

Tickets for the event can be purchased at https://www.fevo.com/edp/Bridgeport-Sound-Tigers-Play-For-Pam-Night-vs-Hershey-Bears-bBmBR95