Bloomfield Hills girls teaming up with Michigan Warriors for charity game
By @StefanKubus and @MichaelCaples –
The Bloomfield Hills High School girls varsity hockey team is teaming up with the Michigan Warriors to raise money for the Warriors program.
The Michigan Warriors program is a nonprofit organization started in 2014 by Josh Krajewski as a means of giving disabled veterans the opportunity to stay active through the game of hockey. The game will take place on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. inside Berkley Ice Arena.
Krajewski, 27, spent two and a half years serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was told to pick up a sport upon his return to the U.S.
“I picked up hockey as a therapeutic program,” Krajewski said of starting the program. “I had injured my back in Iraq a couple years ago, and after going through extensive physical therapy, they recommended that I pick up a sport. I always wanted to play ice hockey, and never did growing up. Never had the money or the time; didn’t have the time while I was in the army. I’m back home with lots of time now, so I picked it up.
“From square one, I skated five nights a week to learn how to play, found out that not only did it help me with my strength in my back, but it also helped me stay mentally tough as well. Coming out of the military, separating and coming back home, there’s a huge transition period for us military guys, us veterans, and it’s hard to integrate back home – at least I found that for myself. I found that it was easier to transition on the ice – team sport, competitive atmosphere, you get a little rough on the ice – and I found that was very relatable to being in the military with the same group of guys.”
Though hockey is undoubtedly an expensive sport, the costs of equipment and ice time have been minimized thanks to donations and sponsorships.
“It’s no cost to the guys, we try to find equipment, either donated, used, whatever it is, and give it to the guys that don’t have it, and all the money we have for our ice time is paid for by donations and sponsors,” Krajewski said. “All of our coaching staff, they’re all volunteers and they come out because they want to give their time to a great cause.”
Additionally, the Warriors have received help from USA Hockey and the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association along the way. Gordon Bowman, longtime vice president of coaching for MAHA, has lead a group of volunteer coaches and aides on the ice for the Warriors.
“It’s awesome,” Bowman said. “What they’ve done for our country, what they’ve given up, it’s the least I can do. All of them are really willing, and that also makes it enticing, that these guys want to learn the game as much as they possibly can. I hope it’s as great for them as it is for me.”
More information on the Jan. 30 charity game:
