SUPPORTERS
TESTIMONIALS
My family has lived in Belmont for many years. We have used to rink in many ways. My partially verbal autistic son participated in the S.P.O.R.T. program run by the Belmont recreation department. This program taught him to skate, an activity he gets great enjoyment from, and also gave us a safe and welcoming place to skate with him. I use the rink during its open skating period almost every day during the winter. I also see other people there, many of whom are skating with small children. The last time I was there I could not get onto the ice because the gate was jammed shut by a frost heave – we really do need a new rink soon.
The rink is not only a place for me to play a sport I love, but it is also a place to make memories with friends and family. I would hate not to have a rink because it has been such an important place to me all of my life. I hope other kids can have the same great experience too.
Our young hockey players and skaters will reap both the immediate benefits of a new rink, and joyous lifelong memories. But the rink will also provide community engagement opportunities for so many across Belmont, young and old alike. Community building will always be a worthwhile investment. Of course, I am biased because I regularly play hockey to this day, but this idea makes sense even if you’re not one to lace up skates.
The renovated rink will serve so much more than hockey and preserves a community asset.
I could not be more happy or excited to see all three of my grandchildren skating. It’s a healthy outlet for them. They build confidence, week by week. When my grandchildren first began skating at the Belmont
rink, I took skating lessons so I could gain enough confidence to skate with them. It wasn’t long before we all skated together. Skating, and especially hockey, has become a very important part of the family’s life. We all hope there will continue to be a rink in Belmont for community use.
The rink and field house have been such a large component of my sons’ Belmont experience. Athletics balanced their academics and taught them perseverance. I’d like to see future generations have the same opportunities.
Excerpt from a Letter to the Belmontonian:
The rink was originally built as an outdoor ice surface and then “enclosed” in the late 70’s. I use enclosed loosely as many birds use the rink as a giant birdhouse, coming and going as they please. Their droppings are all over the bleachers and last season, a coach had to remove a dead bird from the ice before practice could start. (Read the full letter here.)