This is a post to thank the talented and very dedicated volunteers who make and maintain our outdoor ice. The
QCA ice is among the best in the city; skaters come from other neighbourhoods because they know how superior the Queensland ice crew is at making a great sheet.
I've spent more time on the outdoor rink this year than ever before and the Floor Hockey group has been taking advantage of the rink as well so I wanted to use this forum to thank Panger and his 'posse' of talented volunteers for working so hard.
The outdoor facility gives many kids (and kids-at-heart) a safe and friendly environment to skate, play hockey, improve, visit, practice, meet, gossip, watch, help, teach, compete, congregate and be a community. So if you see any of the volunteers who make it possible, say 'thanks - good job' because they deserve it. Let the
Community Association know how much you appreciate it too - it takes funding to keep the whole thing going so they need to know how much it means to us. Let us know on the blog too - if you use the ice, click on
'comment' below and let the volunteers know what it means to you.
Some tidbits:
- Three 'senior' volunteers get up early each morning and spend about three hours sweeping, edging and flooding the ice - thanks Ken, Steve, and Wayne.
- Aaron (Panger), Stephan, Ryan, Michael, Jesse, and Tyler are the night crew who make sure the ice, boards, nets, lights, walkways, benches, dressing room are ready for the morning guys.
- Panger is always looking for help. You don't need to necessarily
commit to a huge amount of time but if you have an hour or two a
week to spare; come by and ask how you can help or call the QCA @ 403-278-3366 and leave a message.
- Donations of hockey gear of any sort are always welcome, many kids come
to play but not all of them have all they need, help them out with
anything you have.
- The facility just had a huge upgrade with the installation of the fencing over the boards to keep errant pucks where they belong.
- The next big step will be the acquisition of a full size ice-resurfacer and shed to keep it in. Look for future fund raising activity for that.
We've used the rink a couple times this winter and have to say we really appreciate it. We've been to other communities with rinks and totally agree that ours is pretty nice! Good job guys!
ReplyDeleteIt's outstanding to see the number of students so consistently excited about using the rink, and on a selfish note, being able to head out for a skate after work is pretty spectacular. Panger and his crew are a top shelf group. I hope they understand the immense impact they have on many of our students, families, and the community in general.
ReplyDeleteAnother Trevor B., Principal
Haultain Memorial School
Great job Panger, thanks to you and your crew keeping the ice in top shape, kids have a great way to get great exercise and have an outlet to release all that energy in a healthy way as opposed to sitting in front of a computer or playing video games. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteKevin Rochon.
Great Job with the ice (with both sheets), my family has so much fun using the rinks...plus getting some fresh air and exercise. all possible with the quality of the ice.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your hard work!!
An active, functioning and maintained community centre is vital to the spirit of a neighbourhood. The Queensland rink is an important component to the success of its community centre. Kids and teens have a place to go in the winter, something to belong to and somewhere to be active. This hockey rink has turned my son's fear of playing hockey into a love for the sport. Thank you to all of you amazing, hard working, dedicated volunteers who continue to make the Queensland rink a fun, wholesome, exciting place to play outdoors!
ReplyDeletePanger - full kudos to you and the rest of the rink volunteers. Without you guys, I wouldn't be able to make a public spectacle of myself, and amuse so many people. The ice is consistently fantastic, and is the envy of many a community. Good job, fellas, and we all appreciate all the time you put in.
ReplyDelete