Hockey fans - you can't get much closer to your favorite Griffins player than this! The Grand Rapids Griffins are hanging up their skates during the evening of Monday, March 16 to support Easterseals Michigan at the "Hockey, Hops & Hope" craft beer and wine tasting benefit at the Fox Acura Showroom located at 4330 29th Street SE, Grand Rapids.
The ninth annual event celebrates the continued collaboration between Easterseals Michigan and the Grand Rapids Griffins to help people with disabilities or other special needs so they can successfully live, learn, work and play in their communities. Like Gabriel, our 2020 West Michigan Ambassador, who came to Easterseals to enhance his social skills, fine motor skills and sensory processing. Through speech and language therapy and occupational therapy at Easterseals Michigan, made possible by events like this, Gabriel is becoming more social, making new friends and excelling in school.
Easterseals Michigan offers more than 10 programs in Kent County, including children’s speech and language therapy, children's occupational therapy, summer camps, children's trauma services, children's behavior health services, AgrAbility for Farmers, and Independent Living and Caring For Caregivers for older adults. The organization also will expand offerings to include autism testing and the Incredible Years program, which is the leading early childhood development training program for parents of children ages birth to 12.
"Hockey, Hops & Hope has become a staple of our community outreach," says Bob Kaser, Vice President of Community Relations and Broadcasting at the Griffins. "It's a unique event and an awful lot of fun for all involved, especially our players and coaches. We take great pride in working closely with Denise Durkee, Brent Wirth and others who, with their passion for Easterseals, inspire us in our desire to assist in raising money and awareness for this great cause."
"We truly value our longstanding partnership with the Grand Rapids Griffins," says Easterseals Michigan President and CEO, Brent Wirth. "Their support is tremendously important to the children and families whose lives benefit from the exceptional services they receive from Easterseals."
The Griffins players and coaching staff will be personally serving craft beer and wine samples to the guests of the event, which will also feature music, hors d'oeuvres by YoChef's Catering Company, and a silent auction including trips, autographed sports memorabilia, and more.
The event is sponsored by Amway, Flagstar Bank, Forms and Fulfillment, Imperial Beverage, Fox Acura, Grand Rapids Griffins, Art of the Table, and YoChef's Catering company and will take place from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at the Fox Acura Showroom. Tickets are on sale now for $50 (or two for $80) at www.EastersealsMichigan.com or by phone at (616) 942- 2081.
Event Contacts:
Denise Durkee - Director of Easterseals West Michigan - 616.942.2081 - DDurkee@essmichigan.org
Randy Cleves - Grand Rapids Griffins - Senior Director of Public Relations - 616.774.4585 ext. 3046 - RCleves@griffinshockey.comvide a bright future for students and their families.”
