Author: johnrothwellblog

The Winter’s a DRAG event at Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids, part of the World of Winter festival, aimed to create an inclusive and carefree atmosphere, emphasizing fun and acceptance regardless of skill level. The participation of drag queens from Michigan Drag Brunch added glamour and entertainment, appealing to attendees of all ages.

However, beyond the festivities, the event also had a significant philanthropic aspect. All drink purchases were directed towards supporting AYA Youth Collective, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding youth experiencing homelessness, particularly those from the LGBTQ+ community. Andy Allen, Vice President of Advancement for AYA Youth Collective, highlighted the importance of addressing the overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth facing homelessness in Grand Rapids and emphasized the event’s role in raising awareness and funds for this cause.

With approximately $6,000 raised at the event, AYA Youth Collective aims to provide support and stability for vulnerable youth, prioritizing empathy, relationships, and a sense of belonging within the community. Attendees like James Krueger saw the event as an opportunity to educate future generations about equality and acceptance, with drag queens symbolizing positivity and beauty.

Overall, the success of the Winter’s a DRAG event not only brought joy to attendees but also made a meaningful contribution to a vital cause, demonstrating the power of celebration and support in effecting positive change.

CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mi. —It was hockey time in July as the third annual Cascade Firefighters’ Association charity hockey game took place on July 29, 2023, to raise money for the local charities Riding for Ryan and Brody’s Be Café.Activities started at 4 p.m. with a parking lot at Patterson Ice Center that featured a visit by West Michigan’s TikTok sensation Frankie LaPenna.

The puck dropped at 5:30 p.m. for the game which featured a mixture of current Grand Rapids Griffins, former professional players, and current division 1 players from around the area.

“The Cascade Firefighters Association is putting on a charity hockey game for Riding for Ryan and Brody’s Be,” Organizer Luck McCarthy said. “This is our third year, and all the players are ex pros or kids going to play Division I college, along with some higher-end junior players.”

A member of the Cascade township fire department lost a son several years ago in a car bike accident.  Now they are raising awareness of bicycle safety by promoting and handing out flags that go on the back of bikes.

Brody’s Be is a coffee shop in Ada where they employ kids with special needs.

All money raised went to these two causes according to McCarthy.

The hundreds of fans that came out got to see a very fast paced game that saw two penalty shots and a 6-5 victory by the black jersey team.

Fan Mike DeGraw came out not only to see hockey but also the foam spraying fire truck from Gerald R. Ford International Airport that was on display for the game.

About watching hockey in July DeGraw said, “It gets your juices going for what’s to happen in about 70 days: Griffins opening night.”

American Hockey League official Jake Rekucki was one of four officials who volunteered their time to officiate the game.

“It’s a great cause for Ryan and Brody’s Be,” Rekucki said. “We live right across the street from Brody’s Be, so (I’m) always happy to come out and volunteer time for two great causes.”

Grand Rapids Griffins player Tyler Spezia, playing for the first time in this event, scored the game winning goal with 2:10 left to play.

“I couldn’t make it last year, so I made it a priority this year, and I’m glad I made it. It was a lot of fun,” Spezia said. “You don’t know what you’re going to get in the middle of the summer with the guys and with it just being a charity game, but it was competitive. And I love that. So, it was a great workout. And I’m happy I came.”

Even as he spends more time on the golf course now than he does on the ice, retired Southern Professional Hockey League (SHPL) player Cody Walsh played for the third time in this event.

“I thought it would be competitive and it was,” Walsh said. “It’s always a lot of fun playing with these guys. You see all the new young blood coming up throughout the ranks, you know, and stuff. So it’s a lot of fun.”

Comstock Park, Mi. — At least nine fire departments were called to the scene of a large industrial fire structure fire at Future Environmental in the 3600 block of Mill Creek around 9 pm Sunday night 8-21-22. 

According to Kent County Dispatch the fire is at the same address firefighters had put out a fire earlier in the day.

Future Environmental is an oil collection company based in Illinois which is owned by GFL Environmental Inc. Waste oil and gasoline are stored at the Comstock Park, Mi location.

The hazardous waste facility is located alongside southbound U.S. 131, which Kent County and Michigan State Police shut down until 5 am Monday morning.

Riding a 2021 Michigan State Golden Gloves Championship win along with winning the USA National Tournament Championship in December, Justin Lacey Pierce holds a record of 27-8. Fighting out of PK Boxing Gym, he enters this weekend’s tournament ranked number two in the country, in the 156-pound weight class. 

Lacey Pierce, 23, was introduced to boxing by friend Mical Pagan, older brother of Michigan Golden Gloves Honor Roll boxer Joshua Pagan, while attending East Kentwood High School.

“My friend was boxing out of Wyoming Pride at the time and I asked him about it,” Lacey Pierce said. “He gave me the address, and I just showed up. And I have been boxing ever since.” 

Boxing has brought a lot of discipline into Justin’s life, along with giving him an actual purpose. His dream for 2022 is to win the state title, then go on to win the National Golden Gloves title, followed by one more USA boxing champion and to turn pro at the end of the year.

Lacey Pierce will join former local Golden Gloves boxers Joseph Hicks and Joshua Pagan who both went pro earlier this year.

Mind, Body, Character

The city of Muskegon has a long history of turning out good fighters, many of whom have passed through the doors of The Muskegon Boxing Club. 

Located for the past 16 years in Smith Ryerson Park, MBC has been around since 1972, when it was started by city boxing legend Kenny Lane. Today, it’s run by owner and general manager Tony Stone, who never thought he would be running a boxing gym when he moved back to the area from Seattle in 2014. 

When Stone started with MBC, the club literally had nothing but a building and a lot of old, shoddy equipment. With the help of the community, the club has been able to update the building and add new equipment. 

“Rocky Smith talked me into coming down to the gym. It took him about six months to do that,” Stone said. “Then six months later, Rocky moved on to other things and I was running a gym. I’ve been here ever since. I love the kids. I love what we’re doing with them.”

The focus of The Muskegon Boxing Club is just like its initials, MBC: mind, body and character. That’s what the club teaches. 

MBC is not only a boxing club but a place for personal growth. It’s all about being a safe place for kids to come and teach the kids to be themselves.

“You know, I don’t care if these kids ever box,” Stone said. “I’m more concerned with who they turn into as a person.”

MBC does not care who a person is. When anybody comes through the doors of the gym everybody is the same person, they are expected to work hard and to grow personally. The community, including the Mayor’s Office recognizes and supports the club for that.

 “The city of Muskegon is happy to host and support the Muskegon Boxing Club at the Sims Ray Community Center at our Smith Ryerson Park,” said Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson. “The Muskegon Boxing Club is a great asset to our community providing a healthy development building activity for our youth.” 

Anyone interested in The Muskegon Boxing Club can find them on Facebook or call 231-215-1796. 

Grand Rapids, MI- Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack announced on Thursday April 28, that he is running to represent West Michigan for the 82nd District State House of Representatives.

Womack, who has been a Kent County Commissioner representing the Southeast side of Grand Rapids for the past six years, announced his run during a soft launch campaign rally held at Yesterdog, a popular hot dog restaurant in Grand Rapids.

In regard to his experience as a Commissioner, Womack noted that his history as a commissioner gave him the experience to serve the citizens of Kent County. He helped allocate a recent $400 million budget, funds to support housing, wage equity and health needs.

“I’m running because we need somebody at the state level that understands that position,” Womack Said. “There’s nobody better in my district to immediately take that position than me.”

Womack wants to make sure that the Breanna Taylor Law makes it to the Floor of the House so ‘no knock’ warrants are eliminated, and that LGBTQ rights are finally a part of the Elliot Larson Bill, for protection against discrimination. Another priority for Womack is that Grand Rapids and Kent County are getting the state revenue sharing returned back to the entities in its entirety.  

Womack also said, “I’m running also to help protect the voters rights. We have challenges to the voters rights, we have challenges to elections. But instead of just looking at the ballot box, they (opposing Republican challengers) are beginning to look at what they can do to disenfranchise voters.”

Growing up in Grand Rapids, He left the city at age 17 for New York where he stayed for 17 years, including a year spent living in Denmark. Traveling, and living in different places, especially New York, gave a different insight to life to Womack. On a visit back to Grand Rapids, He saw some immediate needs and moved back to his hometown.

“I knew that people needed to understand the power of the people, and what they were capable of, and what their true potential was. So I began to talk more on the radio, to help develop some of that true potential that we have here in Grand Rapids, especially when it comes to communities of color, because the community as a whole cannot suffice. And go to the next level, unless everybody goes to the next level,” Womack said. “Yeah, I mean, everybody, because we’re all human beings. In the world, we have to interact with each other.” 

Grand Rapids, MI – On  April 22, 2022 Reverend Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, eulogized Patrick Lyoya at the Renaissance Church of God in Christ in Grand Rapids. National Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump and other dignitaries spoke to a packed 1,000-seat sanctuary for nearly 3 hours.

On April 4, 2022, Lyoya, a 26-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was killed by a white police officer during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The unnamed officer pulled Lyoya over just after 8 a.m. after realizing that the license plate on the car he was driving didn’t match the vehicle. Lyoya was not armed, on the ground, in a struggle with the officer on top of him when he was shot in the back of the head. 

Protesters have gathered daily in downtown Grand Rapids. On April 21, there was a mile long march to the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan where Lyoya’s parents reside.