Burlington Riverfront Entertainment (BRE) is known for bringing the fun to the riverfront with year-round events and this summer they’re breaking the ice with youth hockey at the historic Memorial Auditorium.
Simply called “The Rink” presented by the John H. Witte Jr Foundation is now open till July 22. In addition to regular ice skating, BRE has reserved Wednesday nights for Youth Hockey Stick & Puck Night. Kids ages 6+ can come learn the basic fundamentals like skating, stick and puck handling, shooting the puck, etc.
Former youth hockey coach, Jim Fitzgibbon from Mount Pleasant, Iowa will lead Stick & Puck Night. “I’ve always wanted to see more hockey in Southeast Iowa,” stated Mr. Fitzgibbon, “and this is a chance to get kids involved and excited about hockey!”
BRE assistant director, David Kroll added “The Rink is not real ice, it’s a synthetic material but you still wear real ice skates. It’s not quite as slick as real ice which makes it perfect for beginners to learn on.” Kroll also expressed his gratitude towards Fitzgibbon saying “Jim is volunteering his time to teach these kids hockey. That’s how passionate he is about this! We couldn’t be more grateful for him bringing something new like this to our town!”
Stick & Puck Night at the Memorial Auditorium will be held every Wednesday 6-8pm for kids ages 6+ now through July 19. The cost is $10, which includes skates and equipment use. Fitzgibbon encourages all kids who want to participate to bring some sort of helmet such as a bike helmet, gloves of any kind, and tall socks. If you have your own skates and sticks, bring them otherwise skates and sticks are provided.
In addition to youth hockey, The Rink is open for regular skating hours Thursdays and Fridays 5-9pm and Saturdays 1-9pm now through July 22. For more details visit www.skateburlington.com.