K-Wings Named to Outfront Business Excellence Award
February 2, 2025 - ECHL (ECHL)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release
KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, announced Sunday that OutFront has named the team as its 2025 Business Excellence Award winner.
Each year Outfront Kalamazoo, the lgbtq+ advocacy center, honors people and organizations from the community that uplift, advocate, and advance equality for members of our community.
"It's such an honor to receive this award," said Toni Will, Kalamazoo Wings General Manager & Governor. "Kalamazoo is a special community, and the desire to be inclusive of all different types of individuals, whether it be sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic difference, is celebrated by the Kalamazoo Wings. We believe in having fun and creating a safe environment for EVERYONE and have built that space by highlighting all these diverse groups with our cause game lineup and fundraising efforts."
Starting in 1982 with Green Ice (pro hockey's first painted ice game), the Kalamazoo Wings have grown their painted ice lineup to five with the world-famous annual Rainbow Ice game coming into existence in 2021. Over 20 thousand fans have attended the four Rainbow Ice events with media coverage traveling to all corners of the world.
"The iconic 'Rainbow Ice' game is paid forward with generous fundraising for local LGBTQIA+ causes, and the annual Rainbow Ice games are unique in that the LGBTQIA+ community is not only invited but celebrated," said Christopher Terkos, OutFront Executive Director. "Toni Will's hard work developing these events has been monumental for our local community and has also inspired other hockey teams across the nation to hold similar events. We are proud that this movement to make hockey a more inclusive space and sport for everyone began here with our own Kalamazoo Wings."
The K-Wings have hosted 24 cause games over the past three seasons covering all aspects of awareness from cancer to cognitive & physical disabilities, and raised & donated more than $1.2 million to local organizations and charities in that span.
Kalamazoo's entire painted ice lineup includes Orange : Halloween, Lavender : Hockey Fights Cancer, Rainbow : Hockey is for Everyone, Pink : Breast Cancer/Valentine's, Green : St. Patrick's Day.
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