The annual Guns N’ Hoses charity hockey game returns Saturday at Ice Skate Memorial City, raising money for a firefighter battling cancer while drawing attention to the rink’s planned closure.
A longtime Houston tradition is returning to the ice this weekend, but organizers say this year’s event carries added significance as the city’s skating community fights to preserve one of its few remaining ice rinks.
The annual Guns N’ Hoses charity hockey game is between Houston firefighters and police officers.
This year’s game comes just weeks before the rink is scheduled to close on July 31. Supporters hope a strong turnout will not only raise money for a local firefighter battling cancer but also highlight the need to keep the facility open while a long-term solution is explored.
According to organizers, Houston has just four full-size ice rinks, leaving limited options for hockey players, figure skaters and recreational skaters if Memorial City closes.
“A lot of folks are very supportive, want to see the game and really hope we keep the ice open or get another sheet of ice in the area,” Chief Larry Baimbridge of Spring Branch ISD said.
Charlotte Nall, who is helping lead efforts to save the rink, said the loss would leave many skaters without a place to practice.
“If this were soccer, you could just go to the next field, but for ice skaters there’s nowhere to go,” Nall said.
Puck drop is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is free, but donations will benefit the Houston Bravest Charitable Organization and a Houston firefighter who is currently battling cancer.
Organizers encourage the community to attend, support the charitable cause and show support for preserving hockey and ice skating opportunities in the Houston area.