On Friday nights in the Fall, five-year old Sam Mackaravitz walked to the 50 yard line with the Emmaus football team captains for the ceremonial coin flip. It was a gesture the Green Hornets were proud to do every home game.

Friday night, Sam found himself on the ice at the Lehigh Valley Ice Arena in Whitehall to drop the opening puck for the Emmaus hockey game against Pleasant Valley/Quakertown.

Sam is fighting a type of pediatric cancer. He is receiving treatment until 2015, and could not seem happier to be around Emmaus athletics.

Hornet goalkeeper Michael Smoker heard about the Pediatric Cancer Foundation while playing on his club team, and he wanted to try and make a difference.

For every save Smoker made during the game Friday, the Emmaus Ice Hockey Club would donate one dollar to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation to help kids like Sam.

"We started doing stuff for my travel team," Smoker said. "That kind of got me into thinking of trying to do something, if at all possible. I just figured that this would be something simple, and it would create awareness for pediatric cancer because a lot of people take stuff for granted. It's good to get people to recognize this kind of stuff."

Senior Drew Phillipes addressed the crowd to acknowledge the event, and Sam. Smoker walked Sam out on a carpet that led to center ice, and he dropped the puck in front of a waiting Nate Kraemer and Trent Hale.

"It was an enjoyable experience," said Smoker. "That's why I did it. I wanted to put a smile on his face."

Smoker made 13 saves on the night, and getting the win was icing on the cake for Emmaus.

"I thought it was a great idea," said Kraemer. "Before the game we said that we're not playing for ourselves, we're playing for Sam. It'll be a game to remember."