Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Steve Carell and more are among those who are set to appear in a charity hockey game to aid Los Angeles’ recovery from the devastating wildfires earlier this year.
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The “Skate For LA Strong: A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles” event will kick off later today (February 23) at the Crypto.com Arena, with all proceeds donated to the Red Cross, the LA Fire Foundation, Cal Fire Foundation and Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund.
Per the Los Angeles Kings’ website, the exhibition features four teams made up of 13 players. Each team’s roster will include a mix of celebrities, NHL Alumni and hockey-playing first responders, and tickets to the game – airing on EPSN2 and EPSN+ – are free to all firefighters, first responders, and victims affected by the wildfires.
Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Ross Lynch, Danny DeVito and Cobie Smulders will also appear at the event, while Kaskade, Jordan Davis, and Lauren Spencer-Smith will serve as musical guests.
Fans have noted that both Bieber and Carrell are experienced players, joking that the “The Bieber / Carrell line will be unstoppable”, while others expressed light-hearted disappointment that DeVito, who is a coach at the event, wouldn’t be hitting the ice.
The Canadian-born pop star has participated in celebrity games before, having played last year in the NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. Meanwhile, Carell played hockey at collegiate level as a goalie, with his skills also featuring in The Office, in an episode that director Paul Feig later claimed “turned the whole show around“.
The charity match is the latest in a series of star-studded charity events to raise funds for those affected by the fires. Since the devastating wildfires hit Los Angeles in early January, some 29 people died, with thousands more homes and businesses destroyed.
Joni Mitchell gave a rare public performance at the LA FireAid benefit show, while Billie Eilish and Green Day teamed up for a live rendition of ‘Last Night On Earth’ and No Doubt reuniting to play some of their hits. The surviving members of Nirvana also made a surprise appearance, joined by St. Vincent, Kim Gordon, Joan Jett and Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet on vocals.
Lady Gaga also shared a new song directly inspired by the wildfires at FireAid, titled ‘All I Need Is Time’. Likewise, many musicians stepped up to help out the affected communities in the aftermath of the fires.
Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD foundation donated $2.5million to help to relief efforts. Paris Hilton also launched a fund for families displaced by the fires, pledging $100,000 and promised to match up to $100,000 in donations. Dave Grohl also spent his birthday making meals for families that had been affected.