LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — An annual charity hockey game pitting hometown first responders against Detroit Red Wings alumni is raising funds to support local students and feed thousands of families.
Watch Christiana Ford's video report:
The matchup benefits Breaking Barriers for Kids and Families, a nonprofit providing support across Wayne and Oakland counties through food pantries, STEAM learning labs and greenhouse initiatives.
"The need is higher than ever," Veronica Cruz said.
Cruz is the executive director of Breaking Barriers. She said the organization was started by Ann Owen, a former principal at Emerson, who saw teachers feeding students out of their own pockets.
"She really just brought the need to us and the awareness that teachers were feeding students out of their own pocket, and from that, the need she had asked what we could do to help with a food pantry," Cruz said.
The nonprofit now operates six food pantries, mainly within Livonia Public Schools. One pantry is currently expanding under construction at the Garfield Skill Center, which serves students between the ages of 18 and 26 with moderate cognitive impairments or autism.
"They’ve been amazing. They’ve been a blessing to our program. A goal of ours at Garfield has been to create a food pantry, and so we’ve been able to partner with them. It allowed us to create a food pantry here at Garfield to teach our students work skills," Lauren Feigel said. "Our students are able to really support, learn the skills themselves, but then ultimately give back to our community that has given so much to us.”
Feigel is the principal of the Garfield Skill Center and the Livonia Transition Program.
"We are finding that over the last year, we’ve doubled the need. Families that have been asking us for support," Cruz said.
They say the expanded pantry will be able to support more families and give students the opportunity to directly interact with the community.
"This partnership really just allows us to expand our programming. If it wasn’t for this hockey game, we wouldn’t be able to do initiatives like where I’m standing right now. Couple years ago we were able to bring this greenhouse back to life and allow our students now to do farm to table, learn how to harvest fruit, vegetable, things like that," Cruz said.
To help serve those thousands in need, Council Member and organizer Brandon McCullough coordinates the hockey game between the Livonia All Stars and Detroit Red Wings alumni.
"This is going to be our fifth year, and you know, I think to date we have probably raised close to $80,000, maybe a little bit less, directly to the non-profit," McCullough said.
The Livonia All Stars team is made up of first responders and community members. McCullough said the Red Wings alumni team has included Darren McCarty, Mickey Redmond, Drew Miller, and Red Berenson. The Red Wings have won every year.
"We have a bunch of guys that we say are the 'Uncle Rico's' of hockey that think we can beat the Red Wings, but we go out there to raise funds, and usually they just take us down pretty good," McCullough said.
Organizers are looking for people to purchase $10 tickets ahead of the game, which is set for Saturday, May 2. You can visit the link on the QR code for tickets.
"Anytime you can mix hockey, raising funds, Red Wings, you can’t go wrong," McCullough said.
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