NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The 13th Annual Guns & Hoses charity hockey game is just around the corner, and the time to buy tickets is now.
For those who aren’t familiar, the event is a Hampton Roads tradition. On April 1, firefighters and police officers from all over the region gather to play an ice hockey game at the Scope Arena in Norfolk to raise money for a chosen charity.
Chief Glenn Williams has been involved since the first puck dropped more than a decade ago.
“It’s just has blown up,” said Chief Williams. “I remember our first game, I think we had about 500 people and now we have over 2000 every year.”
As mentioned, the proceeds of those 2000 tickets, go to a selected charity. In order for this year’s charity to receive a portion of the sales, game-goers must buy their ticket online before the day of the event.
You can do that by clicking here.
This year’s charity is the Hero Kids Foundation.
“We are a nature-based team building, family activity that focuses on ‘connect, restore and thrive,'” explained Hero Kids Foundation founder John Raniowski. “Connect with the core of what the family is, restore the communication, and help the families thrive in the normalcy of service… either to our community or our country.”
‘Hero Kids’ was an easy choice to be the beneficiary of this year’s event. They support the families of both military and first responders.
Learn more about Hero Kids Foundation here.
“We’re gonna open up the plaza [at the Scope Arena] at 11 o’clock and there’s going to be DJ’s, bands. It’s gonna be fun, with police trucks, fire trucks out there, and a petting zoo for kids,” said Cody Pessing with the Norfolk Police Department.
It’s all fun and games until police and fire hit the ice. That’s when players say the competition heats up. Raising scores, and money, all for a good cause.
“People love this game,” said Norfolk firefighter Michael Johnston. “To be able to get the local community out there, it’s awesome seeing the kids out there, and just having a lot of fun and being able to hop in the fire trucks and the police vehicles before the game.”
“It’s a lot of fun getting everybody together and raising as much money as we can for the charity.”
In order for the Hero Kids Foundation to get your donation through ticket sales, you have to buy through the online link by clicking here. The plaza event at 11 a.m. is open to the public without a ticket. A ticket to the ‘Guns N Hoses’ game also gets you into the Admirals game later that evening at the Scope Arena.
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