Friesen 5K set for Sept. 14

Hurricanes trainer Pete Friesen will hold his third annual pre-camp 5K around the RBC Center on Sept. 13, but this one may be a little more meaningful than the first two.

Friesen said the event will be held in honor of young Julia Rowe, whose battle with leukemia proved so inspiring to the Hurricanes during their run to the Stanley Cup in 2006.

Rowe, a neighbor of Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette, was the impetus behind the "relentless" motto that the Hurricanes used during the playoffs. Laviolette sold wristbands to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Eastern N.C. while Rowe's family donated bottles of Shafer's Relentless wine to Laviolette, signed by Rowe, to give to players who epitomized that motto.

Friesen's first two 5Ks have raised $43,000 for LLS, but with Rowe again fighting the disease, he's hoping for more this fall after everything Rowe did for the team two years ago.

"Everybody knew there was something more important than winning the Stanley Cup, but it made everybody's focus that much sharper," Friesen said. "I honestly think the Hurricanes used that to grow from and become even tougher throughout that entire Stanley Cup run."

The entry fee is $25 before Sept. 1, $30 after. There's also a 100-yard fun run for kids, $10. Many players and coaches are expected to participate again, although the team requests that fans not bring items to be autographed.