CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mi. —It was hockey time in July as the third annual Cascade Firefighters’ Association charity hockey game took place on July 29, 2023, to raise money for the local charities Riding for Ryan and Brody’s Be Café.
Activities started at 4 p.m. with a parking lot at Patterson Ice Center that featured a visit by West Michigan’s TikTok sensation Frankie LaPenna.
The puck dropped at 5:30 p.m. for the game which featured a mixture of current Grand Rapids Griffins, former professional players, and current division 1 players from around the area.
“The Cascade Firefighters Association is putting on a charity hockey game for Riding for Ryan and Brody’s Be,” Organizer Luck McCarthy said. “This is our third year, and all the players are ex pros or kids going to play Division I college, along with some higher-end junior players.”
A member of the Cascade township fire department lost a son several years ago in a car bike accident. Now they are raising awareness of bicycle safety by promoting and handing out flags that go on the back of bikes.
Brody’s Be is a coffee shop in Ada where they employ kids with special needs.
All money raised went to these two causes according to McCarthy.
The hundreds of fans that came out got to see a very fast paced game that saw two penalty shots and a 6-5 victory by the black jersey team.
Fan Mike DeGraw came out not only to see hockey but also the foam spraying fire truck from Gerald R. Ford International Airport that was on display for the game.
About watching hockey in July DeGraw said, “It gets your juices going for what’s to happen in about 70 days: Griffins opening night.”
American Hockey League official Jake Rekucki was one of four officials who volunteered their time to officiate the game.
“It’s a great cause for Ryan and Brody’s Be,” Rekucki said. “We live right across the street from Brody’s Be, so (I’m) always happy to come out and volunteer time for two great causes.”
Grand Rapids Griffins player Tyler Spezia, playing for the first time in this event, scored the game winning goal with 2:10 left to play.
“I couldn’t make it last year, so I made it a priority this year, and I’m glad I made it. It was a lot of fun,” Spezia said. “You don’t know what you’re going to get in the middle of the summer with the guys and with it just being a charity game, but it was competitive. And I love that. So, it was a great workout. And I’m happy I came.”
Even as he spends more time on the golf course now than he does on the ice, retired Southern Professional Hockey League (SHPL) player Cody Walsh played for the third time in this event.
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“I thought it would be competitive and it was,” Walsh said. “It’s always a lot of fun playing with these guys. You see all the new young blood coming up throughout the ranks, you know, and stuff. So it’s a lot of fun.”
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