TOMS RIVER – A charity hockey game will hope to spread some cheer and seriously assist a local family – with the support of the police community.
The Team Hansen Hockey Game takes place 7 p.m. February 18 at Winding River Skating Center on Whitesville Road. Toms River Police Officer Brett Hansen is seriously injured at a time when his family is also facing medical issues.
To help, the charity hockey game will serve as a fundraiser for the family.
The idea for a charity game came from Camden County Police Department, where Hansen worked before joining Toms River PD.
According to the Toms River PBA: “Our injured brother Brett Hansen’s old police department (Camden County PD) contacted us for a benefit hockey game to help his family with mounting medical bills. The TRPD happily accepted the challenges and the game is on!”
The game is a showdown between Toms River and Camden, “two police departments who care about their injured brother.”
The event will feature the game, plus some activities for the kids, and a gift auction flush with prizes. It’s billed as “bad hockey for a good cause.”
Admission is a $10 donation to the Brett Hansen Fund, free for kids 12 and under.
An after party event is at Charlie’s Pizza and Pub, Route 37 in Manchester, with admission there for a $5 donation. That event begins at 9 p.m. and features live music from Fly on the Chicken.
Hansen was severely injured in an off-duty car accident on the Garden State Parkway. He has been with the Toms River police force since August 2015.
There’s a GoFundMe Page set up for Hansen.
