March entered like a lion, blowing hard and cold, and has kept up the pressure all month long. But an equal countervailing breeze was also in evidence last weekend, one that brought smiles rather than frowns around town.

On Saturday at the ice arena the second annual Guns versus Hoses game took place. It’s a bragging rights event where Island police take on Island firemen, their uniforms swapped out for hockey attire, their equipment pared down to a stick and a puck. But the goal tally is secondary. Helping out the community, something these two groups already do as part of their jobs every day, took center stage.

The event raised over $9,000 for Vineyard House, the Island’s only sober-living center, and the donations are still flowing in. The donations are also still being tallied for Mike Hathaway, the deputy Edgartown harbormaster injured last week in a boat mishap. Mr. Hathaway is the Zamboni driver at the rink, beloved by young and old, many of whom were in attendance on Saturday during a public skate to raise money for his health costs.

It was the kind of event that made one smile in all sorts of ways: how the score magically changed from a lopsided 9-1 in favor of the police to a 9-9 tie that sent the conquest into overtime; how all those first responders, who so often have to witness the hardest situations the Island has to offer, were cheered on en masse; how a little girl concentrated so hard while holding a large magic marker when writing a get-well note to Mr. Hathaway.

Boys in Blue, Firemen in Red, community is a multi-colored and multi-generational affair, led by so many hearts of gold.