By Jasmine Franklin
Anyone looking for a place to be on Family Day can hit the new outdoor rink for a skate-a-thon Feb. 15 to help the Ponoka Kinsmen raise funds to complete the rink.
“We’re trying to have an official grand opening for the rink where anybody and everybody is invited,” said Ken Groot, one organizer of the event. “It’s an all ages event and we’re hoping to raise money for final touches on the project.”
In addition to Family Day events, the Kinsmen are inviting teams of up to 20, and individuals to collect pledges based of skating laps for the rink between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Goals of the event are to welcome the new arena with a formal opening, help fundraise for final additions to the rink and to help clubs/teams fundraise for projects.
“We haven’t done a skate-a-thon in Ponoka for years,” Groot said. “This is something the whole family can take part in and enjoy.”
The event is open to anyone with only one rule: groups and individuals must have one common project to raise money for in mind such as club events, uniforms or tournament entry fees.
With all the funds raised and payable to the Kinsmen, the club will return 70 per cent of what groups and individuals raise to their cause and the remaining 30 per cent will go toward completing the rink.
“(The money) will go toward player benches, player boxes and seating areas,” Groot said.
The group raising the most funds will be awarded with 25 tickets to a Red Deer Rebels home game.
Individual prizes will be awarded.
Organizers will be on ice the entire event, however helmets are required to be worn by all participants.
For more information contact Rick Cline at (403) 588-1957 or Groot at (403) 318-6847.