Get ready for a day of free family fun at Clark Park on Saturday, Jan. 20 when the Clark Park Coalition hosts its 12th Annual Winter Carnival and outdoor charity classic hockey games.
Everyone is welcome to participate from noon to 4 p.m. for ice skating, a petting zoo, horse-drawn carriage rides through the streets of Southwest Detroit, roasting marshmallows, savoring s’mores, exploring the nature van from Huron Metro Parks, outdoor games, and a very special visit from Detroit firefighters.
Hockey fans, plan to be there at 6 p.m. when the action moves to the finest outdoor hockey rink in metro Detroit with a women’s charity hockey game. A men’s charity hockey game follows at 7:30 p.m.
“We expect up to 1,000 people to come out and enjoy the day,” said event director and Clark Park business manager Kate Brennan. “This is the 10th year we’ve included the Winter Classic hockey games with the Carnival,” said Brennan. Free Press columnist and former Fox 2 investigative reporter M.L. Elrick and attorney Mike Rataj established the charity hockey games in 2015.
Players raise funds and donate money to participate in the charity hockey games. The Winter Carnival and Charity Hockey Classics are the major fundraisers for Clark Park, which is also supported by Patronicity, which hosts an online fundraiser at www.patronicity.com/ClarkPark2023. “No donation is too big or too small,” Brennan said, “And it all helps us provide activities for kids year round.”
Winter Carnival sponsors include DTE, East Side Youth Sports Foundation, Detroit Legal Group, Watchmen Ink, Thomas Magee’s Sporting House and Whiskey Bar, the Brennan Group, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters.
The day’s activities and attendance at the hockey games are free of charge. Call 313 841 8534 or visit www.clarkparkdetroit.com for further information.
