GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — For the first time in 38 years, the Grand Haven Buccaneers and Spring Lake Lakers will face off on the football field — and the stakes go far beyond the scoreboard.
WATCH: Grand Haven, Spring Lake reunite on the field after 38 years while raising funds for cancer nonprofit
The season-opening matchup, scheduled on August 27, is also a fundraiser for Bluebird Cancer Retreats, a local nonprofit that provides free retreats, family camps, and support groups for people in the community battling cancer.
Grand Haven Head Coach Andrew Biedenbender called the game historic in more ways than one.
"It's the first time in 38 years that we've played Spring Lake, so that's older than I was, so the last time we played was before I was born," Biedenbender said. "The care and love for the two communities and the beautiful place we have here is awesome. I'm just excited to see these two programs, these two communities, kind of come together for a big event like this."
Spring Lake Head Coach Cody Mallory said the matchup reflects what football can mean beyond wins and losses.
"We talk a lot about football being, you know, it's bigger than the game, and how we use it as a tool to teach and when you have a situation like this where you've got two communities coming together for a football game that hasn't been played in a really long time, it creates an opportunity to also do some good in the broader community," Mallory said.
Players on both sides say they feel the weight of the moment — and the cause behind it.
"It'll be fun playing against people you know, but our main goal is to kind of go and show people what we can do," said Easton Hintz, a Grand Haven senior and quarterback. "Cancer, as my coach said, just impacts so many people in this community so being able to give back to them, it shows that football is way more than a game for us."
Spring Lake senior and running back Jack Nash echoed that sentiment.
"We're going to play our game and do what we think we can do," Nash said. "There's nothing you gain out of football itself, so it's great to kind of do this for a bigger cause and kind of step back and see the big picture."
At the center of the fundraising effort is Bluebird Cancer Retreats, which holds its programs at Camp Geneva and Resort Center on the shore of Lake Michigan.
"We have people that have never seen Lake Michigan before, so that just in itself can be very healing," said Jen Brouwer, the program coordinator for the nonprofit.
Brouwer is a cancer survivor herself. She attended a Bluebird retreat in 2023 before eventually joining the organization.
"After that, I started volunteering," Brouwer said. "Another aspect that Bluebird has is actually right here in [Soulshine Juice]. The third Monday of each month at 5:30, we have a support group."
Bluebird offers two types of overnight retreats for adults — one for individuals attending on their own, and a survivor-caregiver retreat — as well as a family camp.
Grand Haven Schools' organization Bucs Pride has partnered with Bluebird for years.
"We have a Community Cares bag that they have that they will give to cancer patients in this area. They will get donations to bring to the cancer center so people can have snacks while they're having their infusions and things like that," Brouwer said.
The rivalry game's fundraising goal is $20,000 to support Bluebird's 2027 Family Camp. Yard signs are available for $10 each, and Brouwer said anyone can participate — regardless of which team they root for.
"Even if you don't live in Spring Lake or Grand Haven, you can still buy the signs and support us," Brouwer said.
To learn more about Bluebird Cancer Retreats or to donate, visit here.
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