SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Professional Firefighters I.A.F.F. Local 343 will be hosting the Saratoga Springs Police PBA in the 2023 Saratoga Springs Fire & Police Holiday Hockey Classic on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Saratoga Springs Weibel Ice Rink.
The game will begin at approximately 7 p.m., after the conclusion of the Skidmore College versus New England College men’s hockey game. Admission to the Holiday Hockey Classic is free with the donation of a new unwrapped toy, a press release states.
The Holiday Hockey Classic is played to benefit the Franklin Community Center’s Holiday Assistance Program. The Holiday Assistance Program has the goal of providing the opportunity for every child in the Saratoga Springs area to wake up Christmas morning with a gift for them, the release states.
The toy collection associated with the hockey game will begin the week of October 10. Toy collection boxes will be placed at multiple locations throughout Saratoga Springs until November 17. The toy collection boxes will be located at both Saratoga Springs firehouses, the Saratoga Springs Police Department and Kings Tavern on Union Avenue.
This will be the fifth time both teams have played in the Holiday Hockey Classic, with each year seeing larger crowds and an increase in donations, according to the release. During the game, an in-game raffle is conducted to raise additional funds that will be included with the toy donation to the Franklin Community Center.
Last year, the teams raised over $1,000 and collected over 700 toys from the support they received from the community, the release states. Saratoga Springs firefighters and police will deliver the toys collected to the Franklin Community Center during the first week of December.
