The Motor City is sliding into the weekend with a cool mix of charity, community, and sportsmanship as the Clark Park Winter Carnival teams up with an outdoor charity hockey game for a day packed with entertainment. According to FOX 2 Detroit, this cost-free event kicks off on Saturday, January 20, featuring food, music, and activities such as carriage rides and a petting zoo that the whole family can enjoy.
While the city buzzes in anticipation of the Lions' playoff game, Clark Park offers an alternative for those more inclined to spend their weekend on the ice, as Detroit Free Press reported in their round-up of weekend activities. Not to mention, admission to the Carnival and ensuing hockey games won't dip into your wallet.
Founded by Free Press columnist and former Fox 2 investigative reporter M.L. Elrick and Detroit attorney Mike Rataj in 2015, the charity hockey games support a good cause. M.L. Elrick, showcasing his characteristic humility about his hockey skills, told FOX 2, "I'm a terrible hockey player... but I'll pay to play hockey for a good cause." The games garner funds for the Clark Park Coalition non-profit, which provides year-long programs, nutrition, and resources to the youth of southwest Detroit.
Adding to their philanthropic scoreboard, the Winter Carnival and Hockey Classics stand as the major fundraisers for Clark Park. Event director and business manager Kate Brennan expects a crowd of around 1,000 people, as she commented to elcentralmedia.com. Sometimes pulled by horses around southwest Detroit, the carriage rides are set to be among the day's highlights. The shared love of the game and the city's young people binds the community together in this frosty carnival, which has been celebrated for the past 12 years. "It’s all about giving to the next generation and that’s why this is still going here after all these years," Elrick echoed in a moment of reflection.
As the puck prepares to drop at 6 p.m. for the women's game and 7:30 p.m. for the men's, Detroit showcases its generous spirit in the form of slapshots and s'mores. With a roster of sponsors including DTE and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, the event not only celebrates the present but invests in the future of Detroit’s youth, showing that the city's heart beats strongly, not only for its professional sports teams but also for its community.
