Troy skating event gets people with disabilities on the ice

TROY — The Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Center in Troy hosted the Hockey Mentors for Special Players’ third annual hockey tournament and provided opportunities for disabled attendees to play hockey or learn to skate July 27.

Hockey Mentors For Special Players was started by Troy High School graduate Wyatt Lucas as a part of his Eagle Scout project in 2019 to host a hockey event for people with disabilities. Lucas himself has been playing hockey since he was 4 years old, and he is now a junior at Lawrence Technological University studying mechanical manufacturer engineering technology.

“I’ve played hockey since I was 4. I wanted to share this love with people that might not have the opportunity,” Lucas said in an email. “Money for the event was raised, things were in motion, then COVID hit.  Everything shut down. I had to pivot to meet a deadline, so with the help of military vets that use hockey to cope with injuries sustained in service, I made a hockey parody video for my project and gifted Special Olympics of Michigan all the money that I had raised,” which, after ice rental costs, came to $1,750, he said.

Following that, in 2022, Lucas again raised money to honor his promise to hold an event for the disabled community and was finally able to hold his first skating event.

“It was a huge success,” Lucas said. “Over 110 individuals with special needs attended. It exceeded my expectations in every way. It was a pretty emotional day. I can’t explain the utter joy experienced by the kids. They are amazing. Nervous to try something new,  but trusting in my volunteers. The smiles and laughter they have on the ice is priceless. It is not lost on me that these families were entrusting me to create a supportive and safe event. Their positive feedback was immensely rewarding.”

Due to the popularity of the event, Lucas decided to make Hockey Mentors into a nonprofit organization and to hold the skating event every year.

The event is free for individuals of any age with any type of disability, along with their families/caregivers. There were 150 people registered to attend the event on Saturday, though some walk-in participants were able to attend while the skating continued.

“We have a big mixed group that can learn to skate, and the teams come out here for scrimmage,” Wyatt Lucas said.

The event provides opportunities for attendees to learn how to ice skate and play hockey together. No prior experience was needed, and each guest had their own on-ice buddy, some of whom are experienced hockey players.

“The kids are so nervous, and then they don’t want to come off the ice,” Gail Lucas, Wyatt Lucas’ mom, said. “We have one-on-one volunteers that let them experience the ice.”

Hockey equipment like jerseys, helmets, sticks and gloves was provided.

The hockey scrimmage games that guests could also watch during the event were played by teams of differently-abled players.

“Not many people realize hockey is an adaptive sport. There are teams for the deaf, amputees, Downs syndrome, even blind hockey,” Wyatt Lucas said in an email.

Hot lunch and swag bags filled with goodies were provided.

Funds raised were around $7,000-$9,000, and much of the support, in term of financial and volunteer work, came from other local organizations, including Auto Hauler Exchange, Espofitlife, Kelly’s Kidz, Maserati of Troy, a memorial donation from the Petersen family, a memorial donation from the Elam family, Peach Lab, the Troy Community Foundation, the Troy Rotary Club and Twin Pines Landscaping.

“I am always impressed by young people who understand philanthropy and regularly give back to our local community — Wyatt Lucas puts his heart and soul into helping others,” Valiena Allison, the grants committee chair for the Troy Community Foundation, said in a press release. “Wyatt spends countless hours fundraising for his Special Needs Hockey Tournament, and this is a special day for folks who might not have had the opportunity to lace up some skates and hit the ice. Wyatt provides the ice time, the needed equipment, hockey coaches and mentors, and lunch. This event is certainly one that each participant looks forward to and will cherish the memories from afterward.”

For more information, visit https://hockeymentors.net.