Detroit Ice Dreams is dedicated to promoting and subsidizing hockey for underrepresented youth in the community. The organization provides high-quality recreational, social and mentoring support while encouraging academic excellence and the promotion of community involvement. It also provides a college scholarship program to help students with tuition and supplies.
"We encourage more than just hockey. We stress accomplishing great things on and off the ice," McCrimmon said. "Ice Dreams supports the need to establish positive values, goals, invaluable life skills and positive involvement in the community as leaders and productive members of society."
Participants of Detroit Ice Dreams engage in several community initiatives each year, including volunteering at Gleaners Community Food Bank and feeding and distributing blessing bags to the homeless. Every year, the organization also proudly hosts a Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway and Back to School Backpack Giveaway, as well as an Adopt a Child/Family program for Christmas.
"We couldn't think of a better honoree to kick off our 2022 Game Changers series than Jason McCrimmon," Brown said. "Serving as the Red Wings' official Learn, Play, Score ambassador since 2020, Jason uses his personal experience and deep passion for hockey to inspire thousands of kids across Detroit to dream big through the sport each year."
McCrimmon said he's proud of how much Detroit Ice Dreams has grown since its inception eight years ago, but he said he's most proud of how much his former participants have grown as human beings.
"Seeing the kids from 2014 to now, some of those kids played in our junior program, some of those kids are in college right now, some are graduating," he said. "I'm proud of the part we played in incorporating different values from the game of hockey into our program. They took what they learned and are doing a lot of great things outside of hockey."
McCrimmon, who is also is the first African American majority owner of a Junior Hockey program - Motor City Hockey Club - said he's happy to provide representation in his community and show kids with similar backgrounds that anything is possible.
"You see it, you can do it. If you're in a situation where you know the support system is there, anything is obtainable," McCrimmon said. "It's even better to see a guy that you know came up the same as you and become successful. You can be a doctor or a lawyer or a garbage man, whatever you choose to be, just being able to take care of your family and give back to the community is a success in so many ways."
