Penguins Serve Tables at Annual Charity Gala

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Pittsburgh Penguins management, coaching staff and players hosted a sold-out Skates & Plates Charity Gala presented by Trib Total Media to benefit the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, the Mario Lemieux Foundation and the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on March 5 at the CONSOL Energy Center.

The event grossed over $305,000 for charity.

Penguins’ players donned tuxedos and passed plates instead of pucks as they greeted guests and served as waiters for the evening. Top tip honors and bragging rights were captured by Penguins’ defenseman Robert Bortuzzo while forward Pascal Dupuis and defenseman Brooks Orpik finished second and third respectively.

Along with dinner, the event featured live entertainment by The String Angels, a silent auction and prizes awarded to guests for the top tips collected by the players. In addition, a current online auction benefits the gala.

Since 1986, the dinner has been an annual event for the Penguins, raising more than $5.75 million for medical research.