13-Year Old Named Honorary Captain for Go Red Night

Wichita, KS (February 9th) - The Wichita Thunder, proud member of the ECHL and powered by Toyota, have partnered with the American Heart Association, Kwik Shop and All Things BBQ to bring back Go Red Night for Women's Heart Health on Friday, February 13th. Today, the team announced that 13-year old Trenton Dancaster has been named as an honorary captain for the game.

Dancaster is a 13-year old suffering from hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He was diagnosed at just three days old when he had respiratory distress with multi-system organ failure. He was immediately flown to Ann Arbor, Michigan for the first of three separate surgeries. The doctors gave him a 20% chance of making it through and last month, Dancaster turned 13 years old. His family reports that he is doing very well and is excited for this opportunity. Dancaster will attend Friday morning pre-game skate to meet the team. He will be presented with a special jersey, stand on the bench during warm-ups and be on the bench with the team during the National Anthem. During the game, Dancaster will have the privilege of sitting next to Thunder PA Announcer, Mike McQuilliam.

The American Heart Association helps fund more research on children's heart diseases than any organization outside the federal government. Congenital Heart Defects are the number one birth defect among children in the US, with more than 36,000 babies impacted each year.

February is American Heart Month, which is a perfect chance to focus on the prevalence of heart disease, America's No. 1 killer. It is also a time to pause and celebrate the research and education that makes lifesaving advances in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease a reality. For more information on heart-healthy living, you can visit www.heart.org.

Fans can find free upper level ticket vouchers at all local Kwik Shop locations and All Things BBQ located in the Delano District. The team will be wearing special uniforms that will be auctioned off after the game with the net proceeds benefitting the American Heart Association. Representatives from AHA will be on the concourse selling chuck-a-pucks with a portion of the proceeds also going to this great cause. Fans can also help donate to AHA throughout the game. Fans are also encouraged to wear red the night of the game. Go Red Night drew 13,168 fans back on Saturday, February 11th, 2012, which is the second largest crowd in franchise history.

Wichita returns home for two of the next three games beginning on Friday night against the Missouri Mavericks at 7:05 p.m.

Individual tickets are on sale now. Don't delay! Tickets can be purchased at the INTRUST Arena Box office, by calling 755-SEAT or go online at www.selectaseat.com. Stay up-to-date on all the news during the season by visiting www.wichitathunder.com. About the ECHL

The ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and one Canadian province for its 27th season in 2014-15. There have been 541 players who have started their career in the ECHL have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 29 who made their NHL debuts in the 2013-14 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2013-14, marking the 17th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

-Thunder-