The Prince Rupert Rampage may be fierce on the ice, but off the ice they are helping provide health-care equipment to the community.
The 2026 Rampage Fights Cancer campaign marks the fourth year of the initiative, which has raised nearly $1 million in support of Prince Rupert Regional Hospital. The campaign has received donations from local businesses and residents, with the Prince Rupert Port Authority matching each contribution.
Funds from this year’s campaign will go toward a new endoscopy tower that will help improve early detection of gastrointestinal and bladder diseases, including cancer. The new equipment will replace an 11-year-old system and improve the hospital’s ability to assess and treat patients.
This campaign is of great value to the community and wouldn’t be possible without them, said PRPA interim president Kurt Slocombe
“Our Community Investment Fund remains committed to supporting projects that deliver reliable and efficient healthcare for residents and help draw skilled medical professionals to the North Coast. We commend the individuals and local businesses who are part of this powerful homegrown movement, setting a new bar for healthcare fundraising in our community.”
The new equipment will benefit the hospital greatly, said North Coast Health Improvement Society President Stefan Delloch.
“These vital investments in modernized equipment will enhance diagnostics and treatment for hundreds of patients from Prince Rupert and surrounding communities each year, alleviating the need to travel elsewhere for their care.”
The Rampage Fights Cancer campaign began in 2022 thanks to a group of volunteers and has grown into something huge thanks to the PRPA’s contribution, said Prince Rupert Rampage Team President Travis McNeice.
“We sincerely thank our team’s title sponsor, the Prince Rupert Port Authority, for continuing to step up as the key contributor to the Rampage Fights Cancer campaign, bolstering the community’s remarkable generosity towards improving access to cancer care in Prince Rupert.”
The entire hockey team loves to see the community support, which is the reason some players haven’t hung up the skates, said Rampage head coach Roger Atchison.
“A lot of our guys are getting older and they put a lot of time in the league. Now that the volunteers have got this program exploding in the last three years it just makes everyone step up a bit more. And some of the players probably would have stepped back last year or the year before, but they know what it means to the community to have this program going.”
