Friendly Rivalries Fuel Giving at SETAC Montreal
Montreal’s enthusiasm for hockey will find its way into the SETAC North America 47th Annual Meeting with a Penalty Box Fundraiser benefiting the SETAC North America Endowment Fund. Attendees can send friends, colleagues or even their entire lab to the box while supporting scientific and educational programs.
The meeting will take place from 2–5 November at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal. Under the theme “One Planet, Shared Future,” environmental scientists, regulators, industry professionals and students will gather to share research, discuss environmental challenges and build professional connections.
The fundraiser adds some friendly rivalry to that exchange. Attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite team jerseys — hockey or otherwise — and stop by to shoot pucks for free, take photos and assign a few penalties.
🏒 How It Works
A donation of $20, or $10 for students, gets participants a penalty card to give to someone else. They can choose an offense from boarding, slashing, high-sticking, cross-checking or charging. The recipient then reports to the penalty box and makes an equivalent donation to earn their release. Multiple people can serve their penalties together, and photos are encouraged.
The penalty box will be open in the exhibit hall at Monday’s opening reception and during the poster socials from 9:15–10:00 and 15:30–17:30 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite team jerseys throughout the meeting. Those without a jersey can borrow one of two SETAC jerseys for photos at the penalty box. Anyone who donates to the fundraiser will also be entered into a drawing to win one of the jerseys. The drawing will take place at 17:00 on Wednesday at the penalty box. Winners must be present.
🚨 Want to Stay Out of the Penalty Box?
For those who would prefer to stay out of the box, a $100 donation earns a “Penalty Reviewed and Overturned” card. Of course, you’re still welcome to go into the penalty box, wear a SETAC jersey and have a photo taken!
Whether participants send a colleague to the box or pay to avoid a penalty themselves, their donations to the Endowment Fund help make science more accessible. The fund has supported meeting attendance grants, brought plenary speakers with a range of perspectives, and provided captioning and translation so more people could follow the discussions. This year, the Endowment Fund is supporting the Student-Mentor Mix and Mingle at the meeting and SETAC webinars and cafés throughout the year, taking scientific learning beyond the meetings and making it available to a wider audience.
Come join the fun, take some photos, put your colleagues in the box, and help us reach our SETAC North America Endowment Fund goal!
Author contacts: [email protected] and [email protected]