GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — As some of the coldest weather in nearly six years pours out of Canada into Michigan Sunday, the 20th annual Great Skate Winterfest goes on.
The Arctic blast will ultimately drop temperatures well below freezing, but that didn’t stop skaters at Rosa Parks Circle from coming out and enjoying their time for a good cause Sunday morning. The 24-hour fundraiser is back and in full force.
“I went to the Griffins game last night … me and my friends got down here about 10 p.m. … so 12 hours now,” said one fan.
Each year, the Great Skate offers Griffins fans a chance to lap the ice with their favorite players from the team. The fundraiser started after the Griffins win Saturday night and will continue until Sunday at 10 p.m., no matter what the thermometer reads.
“It’s a little cold but if you’re dressed appropriately, it’s not an issue,” said Kevin Langseth, executive director of the Griffins Youth Foundation. “Come on in. We’ve got a nice warm tent that’s heated, we’re offering warm beverages, concessions.”
Visitors can also check out jerseys and memorabilia for auction.
“Getting a lot of autographs. Got all of these. And then I also have a goalie helmet that I’ve been getting autographed from last year and this year,” said 15-year-old Nathan Sias, a hockey player with the Griffins Youth Foundation.
Sias has been skating with the foundation for almost 10 years. It’s brought him opportunities he says he wouldn’t have had otherwise.
“Growing up in Kentwood in a mobile home that doesn’t have a lot of money. So it was nice being for free. It’s definitely helped me and a lot of other friends find ourselves,” Sias said.
The Griffins Youth Foundation provides free hockey to around 450 kids grades K-12. The organization’s yearly fundraising goal is nearly $400,000. The skate-a-thon is perennially its second largest fundraiser.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity that we’re providing to kids that probably would not have an opportunity if we did not exist,” Langseth said.
The skate-a-thon will run until 10 p.m. at Rosa Parks Circle. If you want to stop by, tickets can be purchased for $6 for adults and $3 for children. Donations are encouraged and they will go to benefit the Youth Hockey League.
