MUSKEGON, Mich. — The Muskegon Lumberjacks are headed into a big weekend with some special events happening, and some of the players got into the spirit early by visiting a local school. Instead of hitting the ice, some of the players were hitting the books, encouraging students to do the same.
“This is the reading caravan. It's part of the Muskegon Lumberjacks Charitable Foundation mission,” Andrea Rose, president of business operations, said. “The concept is to promote literacy in Muskegon County. The players volunteer. They go in and read, do team-building exercises and activities with them. The idea is to encourage them to be great leaders and learners.”
She said the classroom visits are always well received because the students are awestruck by the athletes.
“These are celebrities to them, so it's really awesome that they're taking time out of their day, which is a very busy day by the way,” Rose said. “They're working out throughout the course of the day, so the fact that they're taking their time to go in and make sure they're giving back to our community is something that we're really proud of.”
It’s not just the players giving back to the community. The entire Lumberjacks organization is making a positive impact through a series of “theme nights.”
“We have two games this weekend. Friday is Everything Jacks Night. Not only are we celebrating the work that the reading caravan does inside of the schools, but we've also invited some of the school coordinators and administrators out to be recognized,” Rose said. “Saturday is Jacks Fight Cancer, so our team will be skating in honor of those who have fought. Some may have lost, and some may be still surviving, but the whole idea is raising money for the American Cancer Society. We will also have a silent auction going on, to contribute funds back to the American Cancer Society.”
The doors open at 6 p.m. both nights, and the puck drops at 7. To learn more about the Muskegon Lumberjacks, CLICK HERE.
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