Back in 2016, founders Mike Lesakowski and Amy Gold came to us with an audacious goal: the world’s longest hockey game to raise $1 million for cancer research. So we started with a name that led to an all-star lineup of branding and promotional materials that has won over WNY for a decade now.
14.1M+raised over 10 years
Project
Outdoor
Brand Strategy
Activation
Video
Mascot Design
Awards
12 × Buffalo AAA Awards
A brand built on grit.
In the summer of 2017, the inaugural world-record-breaking game set the tone for everything to follow. Forty players took to the ice for 11 straight days, pushing past exhaustion to raise more than $1 million for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. We fueled that fire with a bold visual identity – one that didn’t just look like a hockey brand, but felt like the heart and hustle of Buffalo.
Expanding the roster.
The following year, we helped the mission scale by introducing the Community Shift. This new format opened the ice to thousands of players, allowing the entire region to grab a stick and join the fight. As the game evolved, so did our strategy. We developed an adaptable brand framework and high-energy promotional campaigns that keep the momentum charging forward year after year.
17Kplayers and 2.5K volunteers over 10 years
Making a mascot.
In 2019, Petey Power Play was born. We designed Petey from the skates up, having a blast dreaming up his hockey-bro mullet and crooked, toothy grin. Petey became so much more than a mascot, bridging the gap between the intensity of the game and the heart of the mission.
For the last decade Crowley Webb has been right there with us, creating campaigns, serving on the board, and even playing in the Community Shift.
Amy Gold, Co-Founder and Executive Director, 11 Day Power Play
Strength in numbers.
As the event has grown, so has its impact. What began as a fundraiser for Roswell Park has expanded to include Make-A-Wish WNY, Camp Good Days, and Oishei Children’s Hospital. We’ve been proud to help tell the stories of these organizations, showing the community how their support changes lives off the ice.
400Make-A-Wishes granted
890kids sent to Camp Good Days
Activation on and off the ice.
A movement this big needs to live everywhere – from Instagram feeds to the grocery store shelf. We’ve kept the brand’s energy high through a wide range of creative: producing social videos, designing custom jerseys and merch, developing event signage and activations, and bringing the mission to life through fundraising packaging like beer cans and chocolate bars.
We have all been touched by cancer in one way or another. So to work on a brand that is not only creatively fulfilling, but also actively impacting a horrifying disease has been incredibly rewarding. Wearing the Petey suit in the summer notwithstanding.
Matt Low, Chief Creative Officer, Crowley Webb
A decade of determination.
From breaking the record for the world’s longest hockey game in 2021, to surpassing the $10 million milestone in 2023, the 11 Day Power Play has become a Buffalo institution. As we celebrate 10 incredible years, we’re proud to have been there from the very first face-off, and for many, many years to come.
