CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — There will be professional hockey this weekend, but it won't be at Van Andel Arena. The games will be played in Cascade Township, with proceeds going to charity.
Now in its fourth annual, the charity hockey event is hosted by the Cascade Firefighters Association, and this year the event has been rebranded with new jerseys and a logo featuring a piranha mascot.
The new mascot was inspired by the live piranhas that live in fire stations, where firefighters wanted an emotional support pet, and they say they had no idea the piranha would grow up so quickly.
The event will take place from 4pm to 6pm on Saturday at Patterson Ice Arena. There will be live music, food trucks, face painting, truck touching in the parking lot and more. Puck drop is at 6:15pm.
“I'm excited to see the community come together and see all the kids come out,” said John Snyder, a Cascade Township firefighter and paramedic.
Professional and amateur hockey players will take to the ice to take on the charity game. This is Dominic Shine's fourth year. He is a right wing for the Grand Rapids Griffins. He will be joined by former Olympian Chad Billins, who also played for the Griffins and Calgary Flames. This is Billins' first year taking part in the charity game.
“This is elite, high-level hockey in a small, kind of local environment, local rink, so we're really excited about this. It's going to be some really fast skating, so we're looking forward to it,” Snyder said.
All proceeds from the game will benefit Brody's Be Cafe and Riding for Ryan. Brody's Be Cafe employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Riding for Ryan was founded by a Cascade Township emergency medical technician after his son Ryan was killed after being hit by a car while riding his bike. The charity distributes bike flags to increase biker visibility on the roads.
Tickets are available for purchase online Or, tickets can be purchased at the entrance to the venue. This year, the association has added ticket packages that it says will reduce costs for large groups and families purchasing multiple tickets.
