Free Firefighting Fundraiser: Hockey, Beer and Fun in Missoula

One of the most exciting fundraisers in Missoula is coming up Saturday February 4th at the Glacier Ice Rink. It is the 11th annual "Fire On Ice" charity hockey game between the "Bombearos" (Missoula firefighters) and the "Wildlanders" (Wildland firefighters). This is an incredible event and is a lot of fun to watch for everyone. The Celtic Dragon Pipe Band has been honored to play this event over the years. Admission is free.

This Event Is One You Won't Want To Miss

I spoke with Chris Kovatch, a member of the Missoula Firefighters, who helps put on this event. He said,

The event started 11 years ago, it is an opportunity to have a hockey firefighting fundraising event. It's about raising money for good causes. This year we are doing the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and The Missoula Firefighters Local 271 Benevolent Association... We have always had a lot of really, really good support through the community.

 

The Community Comes Together

Some of the sponsors who help put on this event are Missoula Chevrolet (formerly Karl Tyler Chevrolet), which donates the ice time for the event. Big Sky Brewing donates all the beer with proceeds going to the charities. I asked Chris if they have kept track of the record of wins and losses over the years. He said,

Well, we've lost the past two years, and it seems like we at the city fire department, the Bombearos , we are getting older and the Wildlanders keep getting younger. We have two games, we have a JV game at 6 o'clock and then our varsity game is at 7:30. Last year was the first year that we lost both games, but we raised more money than we ever have in the past so it still is a win.

The Event Is Free But There Are A Lot Of Ways To Help Out

There are plenty of ways to help with this fundraiser. There will be t-shirts for sale this year designed by The Shirt Shop. They will have hats, stickers, and a silent auction with handmade merchandise from the local firefighting community. They will also have a "chuck a puck", where you pay for a puck to throw on the ice to try to win prizes and more. This is such a fun community event that you won't want to miss.