Good morning, Grand Rapids. I’m LeQwane and this is Calder News — The best place to get the rundown on local news and happenings in 4 minutes or less every M, W, F.

Thank you for starting your week with Calder News. You’re probably on the move, so let’s get into it!

~LeQwane L.

In today’s news:

• 🃏 Trading card game shop opens

• 🛍️ Thrift store re-opens

• 🧝 The tallest elf in Grand Rapids

• And more

What’s Happening

A briefing of local news that matters

Business:  Trading card game shop opens

Enjoy trading card games? Well, a new business that does everything Magic, Pokemon, Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and more has opened on Division. Devil May Duel is located on Divison and it's a place for TCG players to meet, trade, or hang out. You can check out their “play night” schedule here.

Community:  Thrift store re-opens

On Saturday, the Salvation Army thrift store on Divison and Garden re-opened to the public. The location was closed for over four years while it underwent major renovations. The best part? Not only is thrifting fun but shopping there will help fund the organization's community programs.

Speaking of the Salvation Army... The organization’s got a big blank check recently. An anonymous group of donors agreed to match the funds raised by the Red Kettle Campaign up to $250,000.

Good deeds:  Locals pay respects to Veterans

Here’s one for your heartstrings. — over the weekend, dozens of locals laid out 3,200 festive wreaths at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery for National Wreaths Across America Day.

Have news to report? Click here.

Outside of Grand Rapids

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Local Sports

The tallest elf in Grand Rapids is 7’0. And he’s a basketball player named Charles Bediako.

I’m not a sports guy (unless we’re talking UFC), but I had to feature this. I was scrolling Twitter and saw the Grand Rapids Gold basketball team go viral after their game against the Indiana Mad Ants.

Why? The whole team wore an “Elf” inspired gear for a game on Friday night.

The score — GR Gold went on to win a close game of 105 to 103. My take is the elf gear gave them just enough holiday spirit to win. 🎄

Events

Preview: Events —> Live Music

Monday

• Grand Rapids Gold vs. Motor City Cruise | Van Andel Arena | 7 PM | Starting at $14

Tuesday

• Gallery Chat: Women in Art | GRAM | 1 PM - 2:30 PM | Drop into a gallery and chat with a GRAM docent about women in art

• Bingo Hour | East GR Public Library | 1 PM | Relax and make friends while playing rounds of bingo

Wednesday

• Make Music Together | Byron Center Public Library | 10 AM | Make music, have fun, and dance with your while your kids build early literacy skills (limited space)

• Home Alone in Concert | DeVos Performance Hall | (Wed - Thur) 7:30 PM | Starting at $39

• Comedy Night | River City Saloon | 9 PM | Free

• The ELF Musical | Cornerstone University | $20 | A musical based on the beloved holiday film Elf

Plus a few things you can do throughout the week

• Christmas Adventure | Deer Tracks Junction | $40 per vehicle

• Christmas Lite Show | LMCU Ballpark | Drive-thru, Winter walk, Santa Claus, and Memory Lane Train experiences are available

• Enlighten (Light show) | Frederik Meijer Garden

• BYOB Lights Trolly | Kusterer Brauhaus | All week | Adults only

• Giftworks | GR Children’s Museum | All week

• Gerald R. Ford Presidential Express Train | Public Museum | All week | Free

• CHRISTKINDL MARKT | Downtown Market | Wed - Sunday | Free

Note: This is the last full week for some of these ongoing events

Live Music

Tuesday

• The Dutcher Snedeker Trio (Jazz) | The Stray | 7 PM - 9:30 PM | Free

Wednesday

• A Killer’s Confession | The Stache | 6 PM | $17

• The Beanpoles | Wise Men Distillery | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM | Free

*Shows are subject to change, but that’s show biz.

Outside The Plaza

3 quick hits of news from cities around Grand Rapids

Kalamazoo:  The Salvation Army of Kalamazoo is requesting donations of toys as requests hit record numbers

Ludington: Ludington's New Year’s Eve celebration was ranked higher than New York’s Time Square celebration

Michigan:  All eggs sold in Michigan will only be “cage-free” starting in 2025

That’s All For Today…

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