Railers HC partner with forward Nic Pierog, Headway Foundation

Railers HC partner with forward Nic Pierog, Headway Foundation

Railers to participate in Headway Foundation’s Concussion Awareness Week this weekend

By Paul Harris

Railers forward Nic Pierog is making a difference on and off the ice this season. So far, he leads the Railers with 17 goals and is tied for the team lead with Jordan Samuels-Thomas with 29 points. Off the ice, however, he is working to spread awareness about concussions. Nic is the Director of Outreach and Operations for The Headway Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization. Headway aims to spread concussion awareness by taking a peer-to-peer approach to keep athletes in the game for the long-term. They also provide resources to those who have experienced sports related concussions at all levels.

This weekend, the Railers will raise awareness and funds for The Headway Foundation by participating in their fourth annual Concussion Awareness Week (Jan 24-Feb 2). The Railers, Maine Mariners, and Adirondack Thunder will each wear Headway Foundation stickers on their helmets. The Worcester Railers HC and teams from the Junior Railers will pledge to be #NewTough. To be #NewTough, you must report possible concussion symptoms, encourage teammates with symptoms to seek help, and play the games within the rules by avoiding high and reckless hits. This year, 350 teams and 10,000 athletes will pledge to be #NewTough during Concussion Awareness Week.

Fans are invited to stop by The Headway Foundation table on the concourse, hosted by the Railers Booster Club, this weekend.

Learn more about Headway and support their mission by purchasing 50/50 raffle tickets for the 50/50 drawing and a special Nic Pierog gift basket. In addition, you can join the Railers and take the #NewTough pledge. The Worcester Railers Foundation will also donate $100 for each Railers goal scored Saturday along with proceeds from the 50/50 raffle and specialty raffle basket. A special ticket link for this weekend is available to those who take the #NewTough pledge; head to railershc.com/headway for more info. If you are unable to attend the Railers games this weekend, you can still take the #NewTough pledge by clicking here. In addition, you can host your own concussion awareness game by clicking here.

Headway is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded by three former NCAA hockey players (Paige Decker – Yale ’14, Josephine Pucci – Harvard ‘15/Sochi ’14, and Danny Otto – Yale ‘12) that seeks to spread awareness about concussions by promoting a safer sports culture, providing resources to help educate concussed athletes/patients, and enhancing concussion evaluation protocols and their accessibility at all levels of sport. Their goal is to address the injury from a positive and productive angle by utilizing a peer-to-peer approach to spread knowledge and hopefully keep athletes in the game for the long term. http://headwayfoundation.com/