Annual charity hockey game raises money for wounded Chicago police officer Danny Golden

CHICAGO - Members of the Chicago Fire Department and the Chicago Police Department faced off in a charity hockey game on Saturday evening. It was a full house at the Morgan Park Sports Center – with more than 1,000 tickets sold for the event. The matchup was played in support of Danny Golden – a Chicago police officer who was shot and injured last July.

"Seven months since this horrible tragedy, Danny continues to improve every day. He’s got that fighting spirit," said Ald. Matthew O’Shea, 19th Ward. 

Out of one uniform and into another, police officers and firefighters took to the ice for the longstanding tradition.

A rivalry trophy that is earned in the rink has been passed between the departments for decades.

"There’s nothing light about tonight, these guys are going to be going at it pretty good out there," said O’Shea.

Saturday's charity game was held to benefit Danny Golden’s medical care.

His father, Pat Golden, did the honors of dropping the puck.

"It’s uplifting, he has good days, bad days, but a lot of good days lately," said Pat Golden.

Danny Golden was paralyzed from the waist down after he was shot in the back while off-duty outside a bar in Beverly last summer.

There, prosecutors say Danny Golden tried to diffuse a fight between three suspects and other customers, which eventually spilled outside, where one of the suspects pulled a gun.

The third-generation police officer, who also served in the U.S. Army is still working toward recovery, with physical therapy several times a week.

"All we’re hoping for is a miracle, if they told me that somebody developed something to help him walk halfway around the world, we’d do it, jump on the plane tomorrow and go," said Pat Golden. "All you can do is say thank you so much and thank you to the community and everybody that’s helped out."

This year, the trophy went home with CFD, but together, it was a win off the ice.

"I think it’s just another step of our community, the entire South Side, and the city frankly, all to let him know that we’re behind him, we support him and we’ll always be there for him," said O’Shea.

Several thousand dollars were raised for Danny Golden at the game. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe account created last summer to support Golden’s medical treatments has surpassed $1.5 million.