GRAND TRAVERSE - The 13th annual Guns and Hoses charity hockey game will take place Saturday at Center Ice Arena to raise funds for local first responders. This year’s event honors Springfield Township Fire Department Lt. Jonathan Michael Miner, who died unexpectedly last year at age 50.
The Guns and Hoses nonprofit was formed 13 years ago to support a first responder who was battling cancer. Since its inception, the organization has raised more than $300,000 for public safety members and their families.
Tony Posey, a member of the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department, said the event grew from a shared interest in hockey and a desire to help colleagues. “A lot of us in public safety love playing hockey,” Posey said. “The turnout that we saw that (first) night was like, man, we have to keep doing this every year. And from that point, it’s, it’s been exponential growth, which is awesome.”
The beneficiary of this year’s game, Lieutenant Jonathan Miner, served as a firefighter for 30 years. He had worked his way from sergeant to lieutenant and had recently received a promotion before his death. His son, Austin Miner, serves as a lieutenant with the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department and will be playing in the game.
Miner said it is a different experience to be the recipient of the community’s support after years of serving as a first responder. “Normally, we like to be on the other side helping people, not necessarily being on the side receiving it,” Miner said. “My dad... He’s a family man. That’s what this event is about. It’s family. The community is going to come together, and we’re going to do the best we can.”The teams for the game were selected through a draft of members from local police and fire departments who have spent months fundraising.
Doors at Centre Ice Arena will open at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets for the game remain available for purchase.