Hello Fans! Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!

The Great Skate debuted in 2002 as a 24-hour ice skating marathon held at the outdoor Rosa Parks Circle ice rink in downtown Grand Rapids, with every Griffins player and coach skating for at least one hour around the clock with fans.

New for 2009, the seventh-annual event expands into a two-day Winterfest, kicking off on Saturday, Jan. 10 at noon with skating, winter sports demonstrations, games and activities as part of a celebration of winter in our city. Businesses and local organizations such as the John Ball Zoo, the Grand Rapids Children's Museum, Ice Sculptures Limited and Burton Snowboards will all take part in this family-friendly event, which is presented by Comcast.

The festival will conclude with the traditional Great Skate, which will start at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10  - immediately following the Griffins' game against Philadelphia at Van Andel Arena - and conclude at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11.

Admission to the Great Skate Winterfest is free but donations are encouraged. All proceeds benefit the Griffins Youth Foundation.

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts for the Griffins Youth Foundation. Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!