Proceeds for the game will help the Foundation increase their mission to support Minnesota's first responder community
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Front Line Foundation (TFLF) announced today it has been selected as the charitable benefactor of the eighth annual Guns and Hoses charity hockey game at 6 p.m. on Friday, February 23 at the Blaine Super Rink. Proceeds from the event will be given to TFLF to assist them in supporting Minnesota's 60,000 first responders.
Now in its eighth year, the annual Guns and Hoses hockey game pits Law Enforcement Officers (Guns) versus Firefighters (Hoses) from Anoka County and surrounding counties. To date, the event has raised more than $250,000 for local first responders.
"When we interviewed recipient partners for this year's event it was clear The Front Line Foundation was the group we needed to work with," said Wes Pederson, Chair of Lino Lakes Volunteers in Public Safety, the organization that puts on the event. "We have been very impressed with the work The Front Line Foundation has done to support our First Responders."
Since its inception in late 2018, The Front Line Foundation has supported Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs and members of the National Guard across Minnesota, to grant financial support to families of first responders who have died in the line of duty. The Foundation's mission is to bridge the gap between the death and benefits being paid, which can help families with ongoing expenses. The Foundation also provides support in the purchase of tactical equipment for first responders which is not included in department budgets. To date The Frontline Foundation has paid out $450,000 in death benefits and equipment funding since it was founded in 2018.
"We are extremely humbled to be selected as this year's benefactor," Suzanne Holt, President and CEO of TFLF. "This is a great honor that will help us continue to do great things for the men and women who protect us every day."
Pederson says that the annual Guns and Hoses game started small but has grown to something very robust. The free event features raffles, food and beverage sales and an after party that all raises funds for the selected benefactor.
"While the police have won every year so far it has become a very competitive event with a 1,000 people attending the last few years," said Pederson. "We are excited to make 2024's game our best ever."
Guns and Hoses Hockey Game At-A-Glance:
What: Centennial Youth Hockey Association Presents the 8th Annual Guns and Hoses Charity Hockey Game benefitting TFLF
Who: Local Law Enforcement Officers vs Fire Fighters in a regulation hockey game.
When: February 23, 2024 Centennial Youth Hockey game starts 5pm – Police vs Fire 6pm Where: Rink # 1 / Blaine Super Rink, 1850 150th St. NE, in Blaine, MN
Why: Fundraiser for Minnesota First Responders via The Front Line Foundation. To donate please visit http://www.gnhnow.com
About The Front Line Foundation:
The Front Line Foundation began as an attempt to help and support our Fallen Heroes, including Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, EMTs, and the Minnesota National Guard. The Frontline Foundation provides support to those who died while in the line of duty, by giving benefit payments to dependents of fallen first responders. Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, and EMT First Responders face armed and dangerous criminals, impaired individuals wielding weapons, even emotionally charged, and threatening domestic disputes. They are The Front Line Defenders of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities who face and diffuse the high-risk, frequently appalling situations we know or hear about, with disbelief, on the news. In addition to providing endowments and support for the families of fallen heroes, The Front Line Foundation will underwrite scholarships and training registration costs for Front Line personnel as well as support preparedness training for safety officers in hospitals, schools, and places of worship. Further, we assist with the purchase of needed safety and tactical equipment not currently within the budget of the local unit of government. For more information, please visit http://www.thefrontlinemn.org
Media Contact
Robb Leer, Leer Communication & Consultants, 612-701-0608, robbl@leercommunication.com
SOURCE Leer Communication & Consultants
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