An ambitious new project is underway in Hanley with a design to furnish the community skating rink with artificial ice.
Cindy Prosofsky, a member of the Hanley Artificial Ice Project, said the group of community volunteers have been busy organizing a business plan to get artificial ice installed in the rink and are now going to start raising money so they can reach that goal. She said the group needs a total of $1.5 million to make the idea of putting artificial ice in the current skating rink a reality.
“Last year we only had two months of skating in the rink,” said Prosofsky. “It’s always been in the back of (our) minds to try and get artificial ice into that arena and now we’re going to try to fulfill that dream and put artificial ice in to utilize that arena better than it’s been.”
The current skating rink in Hanley opened in 1981 after the community raised over $300,000 from personal donations, government grants and business sponsorships among other initiatives to pay for its completion. For the past 33 years the rink has operated with natural ice making for a shortened skating season dependent on proper weather conditions.
“Our community is growing,” said Prosofsky about why the group decided to move ahead with the project now. “I feel that with the young people coming into this community if we don’t do something now it won’t happen and we just want to better our community.”
She said the $1.5 million price tag for putting artificial ice in the rink takes into account the estimate they received from an installation company along with the projected cost increases that would occur before the proposed start of construction in the spring of 2016. Prosofsky said the group will try and raise the money through applying for government grants, attracting corporate sponsorship and organizing fund-raising initiatives such as a lottery planned for this summer.
Darice Carlson, administrator for the Town of Hanley, said town officials are behind the artificial ice initiative and will be supporting the group through acting as a treasury for the project. She said when installed the new ice would extend the life of the facility and the usage of it by drawing more skaters into the community.
To read more please see the June 16 print edition of The Davidson Leader.