By Kaitlin O'Meara, Contributor
Do you like sports and free stuff? Have I got the club for you! C-Block is the student fan section present at almost all Canisius University athletic events held at home. The club is known for constantly throwing different events, from tailgates to watch parties to signmaking events to use at hockey games (there’s even one today, October 27, at 5 p.m. in the basement of Palisano, if you were curious). The club makes sure there are so many ways to get involved and cheer on the Griffs!
If you’ve ever attended the bonfire held the night before classes start, then congrats — you’ve already attended a C-Block event! Annually, they kick off the academic year celebrating the Canisius community and wishing luck for our students and many athletes. Every year, C-Block gives back to the community by holding a Breast Cancer Awareness event with different teams, and this year they broke a record for one of the top-10 most attended volleyball games of all time with this year’s Dig Pink event. They also plan on donating old shirts to the Buffalo Public Schools, to give clothes to children in need in partnership with New Buffalo Institute.
One of the events that the C-Block executive board is looking forward to is the hockey home opener, which is set for November 3 and 4. The Griffs Hockey team will be taking on Holy Cross in their home-opening series, the team they defeated last March to win the Atlantic Hockey Association Championship. C-Block is ready to cheer them on from the front row. C-Block President Brandon Gaspar says, “It’s about the passion for the Griffs; it’s about showing up to the games and cheering as loud as you possibly can no matter the outcome.” C-Blockers notoriously bleed blue and gold, and this means showing up and out at every game they can to cheer on their fellow Griffs.
Aside from events on campus and going to games at the Koessler Athletic Center or Harborcenter, C-Block also takes students on trips to away games to bring a little bit of home to our teams on the road. In November, C-Block will be going to the University at Buffalo to cheer on the women’s basketball team (Nov. 6) and to Syracuse University to cheer on the men’s basketball team (Nov. 8). This opportunity is free to any students who would like to attend, though only the first 50 to sign up will be given spots on the bus, and the link to sign up can be found on their Instagram, @unofficialcblock.
C-Block events are open to all students, and they are looking to build up the fanbase for the Griffs this year!