Still playing in friend’s memory

Pitt hockey general manger Andy Mecs stood in front of the crowd before a Pitt hockey game Oct…. Pitt hockey general manger Andy Mecs stood in front of the crowd before a Pitt hockey game Oct. 10. ‘This is one of the most important games in the history of the University,’ he said. In the end, though, the game didn’t really matter. Sure, the Youngstown State Penguins beat the Pitt club hockey team, 5-3. But in the end, that was secondary. What was important had been displayed on posters scattered throughout campus the weeks leading up to the event. The game was in memory of Lauren Leigh Ruud. Ruud, who would have been entering her sophomore year at Pitt, passed away from cancer in August after working as game staff for Pitt hockey as a freshman. Jackie White, one of Ruud’s best friends, was at the game. ‘In the spring of ’08, Lauren was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,’ said White. ‘She began her battle with only words and thoughts of optimism, in hopes that she would be back here helping the team out today.’ ‘Aug. 11, 2008, we received a phone call saying she had 24 hours left to live. She struggled hard until Aug. 15, when she lost the battle against cancer.’ The recent fundraising effort, in tribute to Ruud, raised more than $2,600 for the Mario Lemieux Foundation, a charity founded by hockey hall-of-famer and cancer survivor, Mario Lemieux. Per its mission statement, it ‘continues to award grants for cancer research and other worthy causes.’ Game staff manager Kaitlin Mainwaring said the donations are continuing to come in. ‘We still have donations coming in on a daily basis and will wrap up our fundraising drive later this month,’ said Mainwaring. As Chinese auctions and raffles for autographed Mario Lemieux memorabilia and Pittsburgh Penguins tickets went on in the pavilion, on the ice Youngstown State felled the Panthers in an unexpected result. Pitt fell behind, but the team’s play wasn’t the most visible thing in on the ice. While the game went on, the green ribbon stickers visible on the players’ helmets and the ‘Team Lauren’ shirts in the crowd served as a reminder to the meaningfulness of the event. Pitt coach Tom Rieck said the game was more about Lauren than anything else. ‘I thought the fundraiser was a big success,’ said Rieck. ‘We raised a lot of money and I want to thank everybody that was in attendance.’ Mainwaring continued the praise and thanks. ‘Lauren took every day after she was diagnosed with optimism and a smile, always comforting everyone by thoughts of overcoming her cancer,’ said Mainwaring. ‘She lived every day as if tomorrow would never come, but never believed for one second that tomorrow wasn’t already there.’ Close friend and coworker Shayna Stout summed up the young woman remembered Friday evening: ‘She had the most contagious and warm smile, and was remembered by anyone who was lucky enough to meet her. She was a fighter and always stayed positive, which inspired everyone. She was a truly beautiful person who will stay in our hearts forever.’ Donations can be mailed to: Andy Mecs 475 Salem Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15243