Dr. Zigang Dong of The Hormel Institute accepts a check from Bruins owner Craig Patrick Monday afternoon. Paint the Rink Pink again broke its own record by raising nearly $40,000 for breast cancer research.

Paint the Rink Pink continues to outdo itself, and after three years, the event has raised more than $100,000.

Bruins owner Craig Patrick and staff presented the Hormel Institute with the check from this year’s event, which raised $39,819. The bulk of that money came from the postgame auction alone, which raised $33,350.

“It’s incredible every year it happens,” Patrick said. “It’s amazing to me. It makes you feel like you can make a difference.”

Once again, Dr. Zigang Dong, executive director of The Institute, was grateful for the donation.

“We are totally touched and moved,” he said.

Dong said the funds raised by the event are matched with grants from cancer foundations and the University of Minnesota have purchased technology that can be used to accelerate breast cancer research.

Dong added if Paint the Town Pink can continue to raise significant funds every year, it opens up new possibilities for The Institute, such as getting seed money, or larger grants from bigger, national organizations.

Community leaders will reveal how much Paint the Town Pink raised this year at The Institute at 5 p.m. Thursday.