Skating for a cause: APD and BCSO host charity hockey game

At 71, former Albuquerque Police Chief Mark Geier once again laced up his skates on Saturday night and took the ice at the Outpost Ice Arenas for another game of hockey, a sport he fell in love with while growing up in Chicago. From playing as a kid to two years of collegiate hockey and then in adult leagues, Geier never was far from a sheet of ice.

“From a young age, I played and enjoyed the sport,” he said. “I played in leagues out there for many years.”

A police officer in suburban Chicago for 20 years, he and his family moved to Albuquerque in May 1994 to continue his police career with APD and, much to his surprise, he found a hockey community in the middle of the desert.

He got into a league as soon as he could. Then, after 9/11, his hockey life and professional life would be forever linked.

Geier and several other APD officers who also play hockey decided later that year (2001) to organize a charity hockey game, with the proceeds would go to the families of police officers and firemen affected by the tragedy.

“We did a big raffle and raised like $10,000,” Geier said. Since then, first responders in Albuquerque have hosted 12 similar charity hockey games, including Saturday’s.

Featuring members of the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office taking on a team called the “NM Hockey All Stars,” the game proceeds benefited the Salvation Army Albuquerque. Helping over 50,000 people all across New Mexico last year, the Salvation Army Albuquerque provides the community with rental and utility assistance, provides a rehabilitation program for those struggling with substance abuse and is currently providing disaster relief services for those affected by the wildfires in Ruidoso.

Geier, who is a member of the Salvation Army Albuquerque’s board of advisors, brought up the idea of partnering with the nonprofit after a fundraising event they were planning to hold in November was canceled due to weather. “I’m working with them and thought I could probably put something together to help them make up for the loss, ” he said.

Geier began getting all the pieces in place and reaching out to fellow law enforcement hockey players. Soon, he had a full team in place. With most of the legwork done, he went back to the Salvation Army Albuquerque and told them everything was ready to go.

At the game, the Salvation Army Albuquerque had a table set up to display its work in the community, its customary red donation bucket and even a giant, red inflatable couch for kids to sit on. For Raewyn Aspeitia, a major corps officer and adult rehab program administrator, it was the first time she had ever been to a hockey game. Accustomed to seeing hockey highlights of fights on tv, she was pleased to see Saturday’s contest featured a much friendlier nature.

“(Geier) promised me it would be a nice, clean game,” she said smiling.

While the physicality on the ice was friendly, the goalies were not spared the same fate. Both teams lit up the scoreboard, with the final being 8-4 in favor of the law enforcement team. But the most important total of the night was the roughly $1,500 in donations made at the game, and the Salvation Army Albuquerque is still counting the number of donations received through QR codes scanned at the game.

“I’m so grateful to see so many people supporting us,” Aspeitia said.

That same feeling of pride was shared by Geier, who credited both the players and the community for their support of the game.

When you’re doing something that impacts people’s lives, that’s always good,” he said.