Crosby's Hat

Whether you are a Penguins fan or not, it goes without saying that the center for the Pittsburgh hockey team should be honored for his work with Make a Wish Foundation. Sidney Crosby, a man of little change, usually wears the same hat continuously and does not switch it up. However, a ten-year-old boy by the name of Bryce Cunningham realized one day as he was watching his beloved Penguins play that Crosby's hat was looking extremely tattered and dirty. Cunningham, who, at eight-years-old, developed a Spitz nevus mole on his back, and dealt with the cancer for a year as it spread to his lymph nodes. With the removal of the lymph nodes and establishment of proper treatment, Cunningham has since been cancer free. After viewing Crosby's hat, he and his father decided to have a new hat made for the boy's favorite hockey player. 

Crosby and Cunningham were supposed to meet at a Make a Wish Foundation charity event entitled "Pens and Pins," which is an annual bowling event sponsored by the foundation so children can meet their favorite Penguins players. Each Pittsburgh player is matched with a specific child to bowl with for the day. Bryce was going to play with the hockey center, but Sidney developed strep throat and was unable to attend the event. Though disappointed in not meeting Crosby, little Cunningham bowled with Marc-Andre Fleury and enjoyed the day. His father, Don Cunningham, gave the hat to a FSN Pittsburgh reporter, and requested that he give it to Crosby the next night in Toronto. 

Though Crosby is a man of habit and does not like to change up his set schedule, he decided to wear the newly made hat that the little boy and his father wanted him to wear so much. Even though the hat is a simple black hat that can be bought in any sports shop, on one side "Bryce" is stitched into the cloth and on the other side "Make a Wish" is embroidered into it. Sidney Crosby wears his special hat after every game. Don Cunningham states that even though his son does not realize the full value of this, and merely thinks of it now as "neat," he knows that one day Bryce will understand the true importance of this someday. 

Though it is often said that professional sports players are simply in the profession for the money, this shows that there are players with good intentions out on the field or in the rink. Many players participate in organizations such as Make a Wish Foundation, attempting to publicize these foundations, and not merely their winning streaks. The simple gesture of wearing a gift from a fan can publicize the goodness in someone, as Crosby has graciously demonstrated.