Lakeland Grad Uses Hockey to Help Others' Wishes Come True

Commerce Township resident and 2008 graduate Jimmy Vish may not have scored the winning goal for a state championship high school game, nor was he a star hockey player in the high school ranks. But his impact as a hockey player is turning out to be more significant in the lives of area children and teens than wins in high school could ever mean.

That's because Vish is a driving force behind the Great Lakes Summer Classic, being held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Great Lakes Sports City ice arena in Fraser.

Vish is using his love of the sport and a friendly rivalry with a boyhood pal to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan.

The puck will drop on the charity game at 8 p.m. Teams have been recruited by Vish, now a Western Michigan University senior studying marketing and public relations, and his longtime friend Stephen Angelo. The two drafted teams for a fun but competitive scrimmage last winter for a game in St. Clair Shores, but this match will mean even more for the impact it has off the ice.

"We want to do whatever it takes to raise money for this great organization," Vish said, adding that there will be a 50/50 raffle and other raffle items, such as an autographed puck by Detroit Red Wing captain Nicklas Lidstrom.

"We don't have a specific goal in mind for the amount of money we want to raise, but we're excited about the opportunity," Vish said.

A $5 donation will be collected from all fans who make it to the game.

Vish said he was inspired to support Make-A-Wish because of a close friendship he has developed with Sterling Heights resident Jordan Cole, with whom Vish has played hockey in the past year. He was unaware for a while that Cole battles cystic fibrosis — until he learned that his friend was preparing to play with current Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk as part of his own Make-A-Wish dream.

"I watched (Cole) play the night he skated with the Wings, and it brought chills to my spine," Vish said. "It really made me respect what he can do because hockey is a sport that requires so much cardio work, and that is something that can be compromised by the disease he has."

Vish has recruited many past and current Lakeland High students for his team Saturday. Great Lakes Sports City in Fraser can seat as many as 3,000 people, and Vish said he hopes the turnout is significant. He also said he wants to beat the team captained by Angelo, but everyone involved realizes that there will be no losers in this game.

"I had no clue how to organize this, but (Cole's) family showed me the ropes and put me in touch with Make-A-Wish," Vish said. "It'll be great to give others a chance to make their dreams come true."