MARQUETTE — With the hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings Alumni team now less than two months away, the United Way of Marquette County hosted a Team Launch Event at Blackrocks Brewery on Monday evening.

While the evening consisted of members of the team and the community joining up for a couple of cold beers, the hype is being built for when the Red Wings Alumni team comes to play inside of the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Along with the chance to purchase beverages, there were also door prizes and an introduction of the players in attendance at the event.

The Yoopers United team has 22 players, with 10 in attendance for the event. All of the players are fundraising money for the game, and the two who earn the most will get to fill the two open spots on the Red Wings roster and play with them. With all of the fundraising and this event that was held, September’s game will be here for before we know it.

“Tonight’s (Monday) event is great because it launches the team and the event out publicly,” United Way Executive Director Andrew Rickauer said. “This lets people meet who the players are, and what’s going on. It’s going to be a big event for the community, and it really brings everyone together. Bringing everyone together and also helping out the community.”

Rickauer has of course put this event into place in his role with the United Way, but Nickolas Boyle also had a big hand in running the event. Helping organize getting the players together with themselves and the community, Boyle is glad to catch up with some old friends.

“We got a lot of these players together, a lot of us haven’t seen each other in awhile, I haven’t seen some since I left for Ireland 10 years ago,” Boyle said. “It’ll be nice to catch up with a lot of guys and just have a lot of fun in the form of a good community organization.”

The 10 United Way players who were at the event were Boyle, Wolff Belanger, Justin Cain, Jeffrey Clark, Chris Gobert, Blake Miller, Aaron Ranta, Barbara Salmela, Kevin Thomsen and Jon Wheeler. These 10 along with the other 12 on the roster, like the rest of the community, are eager for the Red Wings Alumni to come up to Marquette.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Rickauer said. “It’s so awesome to have the Red Wings Alumni come up here, and to see how the community’s already coming together and rallying around to make this event better. Everybody seems to not be looking out for themselves, but looking out for the community through this event. That’s really what United Way is about, and that’s bringing people together.”

Travis Nelson can be reached by email at tnelson@miningjournal.net.