A large and vociferous crowd packed the Native New Yorker in Glendale to support keeping the Phoenix Coyotes in Arizona.The event, put on by the Save the Coyotes Coalition and SaveTheCoyotes.com, encouraged fans from across the Valley to band together to show their passion and pride for the team.
That passion and pride was on full display Saturday morning. Half an hour prior to the event’s 10 a.m. start, a crowd of at least 100 howling fans had already gathered outside of the Glendale establishment. In all, roughly 500 white-clad fans voiced their support of the team.
“We were very pleased with the strong turnout,” said Save The Coyotes Coalition spokesperson Greg Esposito. “Five hundred loud and proud Coyotes fans came out on short notice to let their voice be heard. The Coalition, unlike the Make It Seven movement in Canada, doesn’t have millions of dollars behind it. This was a truly grassroots effort and we are proud of the first of many events. As the lowly David in this scenario, we’re certain that our efforts have shown Goliath that we care.”
Event partner Calling All Sports Saturday on The Fan AM1060 broadcasted live from the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The station conducted interviews with fans, local media and hockey insiders including Doug McLeod,Former Coyotes play-by-play man and others.
One attendee, a proud supporter of SaveTheCoyotes.com and their efforts commented, “I am happy to be a part of this. Hockey fans are strong spirited, and in these economic times, we can’t afford to upset those people or lose any of that spirit. We need this team. It’s something to lift the spirits of hard workers. It’s something that creates jobs for hard workers. And it’s something that only 24 cities can brag about in our country.” Traci Krakora ended saying, “I am proud of the people who pulled this together in a quick effort to show that we will not go down without a fight.”
Even local business joined in support of the fans and the team. Event host Native New Yorker opened it’s doors an hour early to accommodate the rally. Heritage Graphics donated Save The Coyotes posters they had printed for all in attendance and Wildflower Bread Company gave fans who braved the 100 plus degree heat free water.
“I think it was a great success,” said Sabrina Woods, a fan at the event. “This team brings us together and unifies us. Hopefully it helps us spread the word, people hear about us and more people get interested in helping the cause. ”
The rally was put together by the Coalition, which has numerous ties to the community including members of the Phoenix Coyotes Boosters Club, numerous Phoenix Coyotes Bloggers, The Fan AM 1060, and local Phoenix sports website Fanster.com.
The Coalition was formed with the mission of building awareness for the current issues facing the Phoenix Coyotes, to show fan pride in the team, and to ultimately help play a role in keeping the team in Phoenix. Phoenix Coyotes fans love their team and the Coalition was formed to show just that. The Coalition’s website can be found at http://SavetheCoyotes.com.
