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Welcome to the Frozen Fish Fiasco website! 

Below are some details about who we are, what we do, and why we do it, so please read on.

What is the Frozen Fish Fiasco?

The Frozen Fish Fiasco is an annual set of outdoor hockey games at the Clark Park Ice Rink in Detroit, Michigan.  The games pit amateur teams from different youth hockey organizations in the surrounding Metropolitan Detroit area against one another and culminate with a game between the organizing team, the Cedar Point Carp and the Faurecia Whalers. 

Who does the Frozen Fish Fiasco benefit?

The Fiasco raises money for the Clark Park Coalition, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which works with the City of Detroit to maintain and operate Clark Park in southwest Detroit, Michigan, and collects new and used-but-still-in-good condition ice hockey equipment for participants of the Clark Park Coalition Hockey (CPCH) program.   

The park itself operates year-round to host festivals, concerts and special events, serves as a popular meeting place for family picnics and gatherings, and provides free lunches to more than 100 children daily throughout the summer.  It also features the only regulation-sized outdoor ICE HOCKEY rink within the city's confines and runs the CPCH program out of the rink. 

Why raise funds for the Clark Park Coalition?

Once upon a time, the Detroit Recreation Department funded and staffed the Park, but the City of Detroit's financial crisis led to its closure in 1991.  Concerned citizens subsequently formed a nonprofit organization, The Clark Park Coalition, to partner with the City of Detroit's Recreation Department on a public-private collaboration.  As a result, Clark Park remains open and able to serve as one of the community's anchors, providing year-round programming for those who use it. 

The collaboration between the City and the Coalition has been insufficient to keep the many of the Park's amenities, including the outdoor rink, operating at peak condition.  While hundreds of volunteers donate their time and energy each year to help with the park's upkeep, the park's greatest need remains additional funding. 

Unfortunately, the need for funding has been compounded by the tough times the city has faced and continues to face, the thrusting of additional staggering expenses (for Clark Park utilities) on the Coalition, and the anticipation that, when the city begins making additional cuts, city contributions to recreational programs will be one of the first made.     

How did the Frozen Fish Fiasco get started?

In 2010, the members of two local adult hockey teams from the Labatt Hockey Detroit 'A' league – the Cedar Point Carp and the Faurecia Whalers – got together to generate and execute a plan to raise money for the Coalition to help keep this historic park open and running.  They created the Frozen Fish Fiasco. 

The first Fiasco involved only two games and minimal fund-raising, but it was a success, with hockey players, young and (very) old, getting the unique experience of playing an outdoor game and the Coalition receiving some of the additional funding it so desperately requires.  Its success led to a second and third Fiasco, which were similarly successful in sharing this unique event with even more excited young hockey players and raising more funds for the Coalition.  Donations have exceeded $3,300 from the first three annual affairs. 

When is the next Frozen Fish Fiasco?

The Fourth Annual Frozen Fish Fiasco will take place on Saturday, January 26, 2013, at the Clark Park Ice Rink.

How can the next Fiasco top the previous Fiascos?

This year, we are looking to further expand/publicize the event and make it an even more enjoyable experience for the participating children/coaches/parents/fans, while maintaining our primary focus on the goal of significantly improving what we are able to give to the Coalition.  We have added additional teams, games and sponsors, and have a goal of raising $10,000 for the Coalition. 

Why help the Frozen Fish Fiasco and the Clark Park Coalition?

There are several reasons, including because you share our love of ice hockey, have a relationship with Fiasco participants, possess a sense of immense civic pride, and/or have a unique ability to bolster our charitable efforts. 

Sponsors/donors are thanked profusely and recognized in the Fiasco brochure, at the Fiasco and in the publicity the Fiasco receives, with exceptional sponsors/donors receiving exceptional promotion from the Fiasco and the Coalition.  Sponsors/donors who contribute at least $100 in funds, auction items and/or equipment also receive a certificate thanking each for their support of the Fiasco and the Coalition, and are invited to set up display booths to hand out brochures/business cards at Clark Park/the House of Shamrocks.      

How can you help the Frozen Fish Fiasco and the Clark Park Coalition? 

There are three types of help we seek: (1) funding; (2) items for a silent auction; and (3) equipment, as further described below:

• Funding: Raising funds for the Coalition designed to help keep the outdoor ice rink at Clark Park open and thriving remains the primary goal of the Fiasco.  Every penny donated to and raised by the Fiasco is tax-exempt and goes directly to the Coalition.

• Silent Auction Items: Beyond outright financial donations, there will be a silent auction on January 26 with bids on auction items being accepted at the Clark Park outdoor ice rink and the House of Shamrocks from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., at which time the winners will be announced.  Just as with the financial donations, all proceeds from the silent auction will go to the Coalition. 

How can I donate to the Clark Park Coalition through the Frozen Fish Fiasco?

We request that all donations be sent in the form of a check payable to "Frozen Fish Fiasco" and mailed to Dominic Riggio, 4621 Mandalay Ave., Royal Oak, Michigan 48073.  Thank you!