week of February 20, 2023

Save The Dates….

February 26: Norris Charity Classic Games

March 4: Girls Game @ the Van Andel!

March 4: Star Wars Night @ the Griffins

March 5: Patrick Charity Classic Games

March 12: Patrick try-outs- by invite only

March 12: Last day to turn in donations!

March 18: Last day of the Season!

____________________________________

What are the Charity Classic Games?

We at the Foundation have the privilege of playing hockey for free. We enjoy ample support from the community and want to do our part in giving back.  By hosting the charity games this allows us the opportunity to give back to the community that has given so much to us.  This year, the foundation has chosen Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Child Life Program as our charity to play for in our upcoming Charity Classic games. With your support we can make this year’s charity games a huge success!
The Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Child Life Program- When a child is in the hospital, play is often a critical component to their healing.  Using the tools of music, art, humor, special events/visitors, and fun, the staff of the child life program specifically focuses on providing comfort in multiple ways to children who are often very, very, sick and are facing long hospital stays.   Child and family life team members maintain specially equipped playrooms that are safe, stress-free places for patients and their siblings to play. If a child is unable to participate in playroom activities, bedside play is made available for all ages.  By helping us support the Child Life Program at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, you are ensuring that kids can be kids, even when they are not feeling their best!
This year, I am challenging every player that benefits from the foundation to find a way to earn money to purchase one thing from the below list to donate!  Could imagine how awesome that would!?  We will collect donations starting this week and through March 12. Donations will be collected at the front of the rink on our practice and game days.  Unfortunately due to time constraints not every division has the opportunity to play in the Charity Classic games on Sunday’s, but every division is still encouraged to participate in our donation drive!
Here is a list of donations Child Life is in need of:
If your family has benefitted from the Child Life Program at DeVos and you are comfortable sharing your story we would love to hear from you.  Please reach out to Nichole (communications@griffinskids.org).

____________________________________

Charity Classic Game Schedule

Norris Division will play their Charity games this Sunday February 26.

Patrick Division will play their Charity games Sunday March 5th.

____________________________________

Community Room News

Come learn about different jobs before attending our College and Career Nights February 28th and March 1st. Read books and complete fun challenges- Who can build the best catapult? Can you build the strongest bridge? How fast can you put a puzzle together? Do you have steady hands?- enter the “Operation” tournament. Are you creative?- Build a miniature city or design your dream house.

College and Career Nights!

February 28th 5:30-7:30PM  and  March 1st 5:30-7:30PM

Come out to talk with college and career representatives- it’s never too early to start thinking about future plans and opportunities!  Invite your family and friends to come to this event Tuesday, then attend the Patrick hockey games that night. Or share what your practices look like and spend some time with friends at the college and career night Wednesday.

Stop in for snacks, ask questions, and learn about local options. College and career night will help guide your future- whether you’re graduating soon or still many years away.

  • Aquinas College
  • Calvin University
  • Cornerstone University
  • Davenport University
  • Grand Rapids Community College
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Kuyper College
  • Service Professor Trade School
  • Paul Mitchell The School Grand Rapids

Parents with experience at any of these schools, whether student or staff, feel free to share your likes and dislikes with Foundation kids and families or stop in to see what’s new at your Alma Mater.   Questions? Contact Julie Edwards education@griffinskids.org

 

Family Fare/Spartan Store Receipts

Last Call!!!  If you have Family Fare/Spartan Store receipts to turn in, please bring them to either Ms. Eileen or the education room by this weekend! We need to turn them in before March 1st in order to receive a payout.  Every receipt gets us closer to a $1,000 check! 

____________________________________

Volunteers Needed 

-Scoreboard/Announcers- We need help for the following games (Sign Up Here!)

  • 2/25 Games:
    • Adams- 12:20pm, 1 person needed
    • Campbell- 1:40pm- 2 people needed / 3:00pm- 1 person needed
    • Norris 5:40pm – 2 people needed
  • 2/26 Norris Charity Games- 1pm and 2pm- 2 people needed for each game

-Refs Needed This Week- We need help for the following games, if you or your player has taken a ref class, please considering signing up for a time to help out this week!

  • 2/25 Games- (Sign Up Here):
    • World Juniors 9am game- 1 ref needed
    • Campbell 3:00 pm game- 1 ref needed
50/50 volunteers at the Griffins games are needed until mid-April. Lately, it has been difficult getting six volunteers for each of the games- we lose money if we do not have all 6 spots filled!  If you are interested in volunteering in this capacity, please sign up here.
Please contact Ms Eileen directly (programmanager@griffinskids.org) if you have any questions. Volunteers are expected to arrive at the Van by 5:30 & volunteer to sell raffle tickets until the end of the second intermission. Three tickets to the game & a parking pass are given to each 50/50 volunteer.
Star Wars Night- We are in need of some volunteers to help with Star Wars night at the Van Andel (March 4th)!  If you are able to help, please sign up here! Please see Coach Jenn with any questions!

____________________________________

Sub Sandwich Fundraiser is back!!

Sub sandwich fundraiser forms are available at the table when you walk in.  These are perfect to have on hand for quick lunches or dinners! GYF recieves 40% back on each sub purchased so this is a great way to help GYF!!!

Order forms are due March 1st.  Money is due at the time the sheets are turned in.  Checks can be made payable to Fountain’s Fundraising.  *Please make sure that your name (player name), team name/division and contact number are on   the top of the form!*

Subs can be picked up at the rink on Saturday March 11th.

____________________________________

AmazonSmile

As of February 20th Amazon has decided to discontinue their AmazonSmile program.  Although it is certainly not our biggest fundraiser, we did receive monthly earnings from their program so we are sad to see it go!  Thank you to everyone who had us set up as their charity and helped us earn money through their program!

We do have a great program that can easily replace the earnings that we were getting with AmazonSmile…it is called Raise Right.  Raise Right is our gift card fundraiser – while it might be a little more work on your end- there is no additional cost to you and it can be used to purchase things you are already planning to buy!  They have thousands of stores that participate and you can get your gift cards e-mailed right to you in seconds from most stores!  Physical gift cards are also available to be shipped right to your door!  Please consider giving this program a try and helping us earn money back! 

____________________________________

Girls Division @ the Van Andel

Every year one Division (Adams & older) gets the opportunity to play one of their games at the Van Andel Arena!  This year, it’s the Girls Divisions turn to play!  Every player and visitor must have a ticket to the Griffins game that evening in order to play or watch- no exceptions! Please make sure to get your tickets ordered ASAP if you have not done so already.  More details regarding the games will be sent out to families in the next week or so, below is the game schedule.  Please see Nichole with any questions.

Pink vs Green on ice at 2:00pm (1:00pm arrival)

Orange vs Blue on ice at 3:30pm (2:30pm arrival)

____________________________________

Standings

Play-offs are quickly approaching.  This is the “hot time” of the year.  Players are fired-up with the up-coming tournaments, coaches are talking about “winning the little battles” for the puck, playing “hard” and to “not take a shift off”.  Every call or non-call by our refs are hyper-scrutinized by players, coaches and the parent/spectators.  It is competition at its best and worst.
I cannot forget the words of the great Boston University Coach, Jack Parker, about the game.  Paraphrasing, Parker noted how everyone on the ice has a job to do: players-play, coaches-coach and refs-ref.  If a player is complaining about a call or non-call, they are not doing their job and essentially hurting their team.  I would also humbly add that parents/spectators have a job as well.  Be positive with your player, their coach/team and the opposing team’s players as well.  Remember, our refs are all volunteers.  That young ref may be your player or the player of a parent standing next to you.  Use a light touch and remember why we are all here, despite competition when it can be at its worst.
Competition is about striving to do your best and help your team.  Do your job.  Ultimately, the outcome of competition should be to win with humility and lose with grace.
Let’s all go about our business and respective jobs over the remainder of the season and take some time to think/talk about competition and what it means.  Have a discussion with your players as a parent and as a coach about what it means to you and them.  This definition is only meant as a starting point for discussion as we wind down the season.  I am positive we will wind it down with humility and grace.

Standings as of 2/19/23:

Posted in Uncategorized