WOOD TV8 in Grand Rapids reports that several current and former Grand Rapids Griffins will be raising money for the Cascade Township Firefighters (and more charities) via a charity hockey game this weekend:
It’s almost time for the puck to drop at the Patterson Ice Center for the annual Cascade Firefighters’ Association Charity Hockey game.
This is the third year of the charity game and organizers said they hope it’s the biggest year yet. The event starts Saturday with a parking lot party at 4 p.m. There will be games, a food truck and fire trucks.
The puck drops at 5:30 p.m. The two teams are made up of current and former professional hockey players.
This year, many Grand Rapids Griffins players are returning to the ice for the charity game, including Dominik Shine and Tyler Spezia. Another big name expected to play is Mitch Callahan, who won two Calder Cups with the Griffins and played for the Detroit Red Wings.
All proceeds for the game go to Riding for Ryan, an organization that provides free bike flags for kids, Brody’s Be Café, a coffee shop that employs people with intellectual struggles and special needs and the Cascade Firefighters’ Association.
Organizers expect hundreds of people at the game and said it connects the community.
“Everybody is together, and you see the kids’ faces light up when somebody scores a goal or it’s just a sense of togetherness and community with this hockey game,” Jon Snyder, firefighter and treasurer for the Cascade Firefighters’ Association, said.
