Lakeville Police and Fire departments will play in the first-ever First Responders Hockey Game on August 1 at Hasse Arena. iStock/AlenaLitvin
Police and firefighters play hockey to raise money for a public safety foundation.
What started as an attempt to bring families and friends of first responders together has grown into a highly anticipated summer get-together.
The Lakeville Police and Lakeville Fire departments are combining their shared commitment to service by teaming up to host their first-ever First Responders Hockey Game on August 1.
Starting at 1 p.m. outside Hasse Arena, the police and fire departments have planned activities for the community, including face painting, first responder vehicles, grilling, a K-9 demonstration, a ladder truck, a state patrol helicopter, yard games and more.
The main attraction is the hockey game between the fire and police departments at 5 p.m. In addition to the main game, mini games will be played by peewee or mite-level teams during intermissions.
Although attendance is free, there are opportunities to support the community, including purchasing food for sale and tickets for raffle prizes. Proceeds from these efforts will go toward the Lakeville Public Safety Foundation, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting first responders in the community.
“We don’t want this to be a one-time game,” says firefighter Cory Blanchard, who helped organize the event with officer Mitchell Nelson and firefighter Cory Koscielski. “We want it to be something where we can continue to grow, continue to raise money and provide another vehicle for us to connect with the community a bit more.”
