Support Hoover Ridge has received a large donation for the Madison County Parks and Recreation hockey rink project.
The existing rink, which was utilized by the Madison Hockey League, was destroyed by a wildfire in March. According to hockey league officials, the fire caused significant damage to the rink and player shed. The shed stored gear, rink equipment, tools, skates, uniforms and more. The rink was a cornerstone of the community, with more than 150 children and adults participating in the league.
A new hockey rink was already included in plans for the Hoover Ridge Outdoor Recreation Center project and now those involved in the hockey program hope it can be built this year. They’ve ramped up fundraising efforts, with a golf tournament and the recent Wool and Wine Festival benefitting the project. And now, they’ve gotten a big boost.
On Thursday, the Washington Capitals announced a combined $30,000 donation to the project. The donation consists of $10,000 each from the Monumental Sports and Entertainment (MSE) Foundation, MSE Chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis and the National Hockey League. In addition, Capitals’ vendors Riley Sports and Mateflex have donate a combined $30,000 in product toward the rink project.
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Chris Artale, who served on the Hoover Ridge Outdoor Project Committee and the Madison Hockey League Rink Construction Team, said the league is excited to receive the donations, which make for a nice boost in fundraising efforts, but they still have a ways to go.
“We, being Madison County, Madison Parks & Rec, and Madison Hockey League are pushing hard to get the new rink built this year,” Artale said. “It is a heavy lift and will require more fundraising and a little luck.”
As of February, the hockey rink was estimated to cost approximately $440,000. Approximately $85,000 had already been raised at that time.
Donations to the rink project can be made online by visiting https://www.hooverridge.com/donate.html or by mailing a check made payable to Support Hoover Ridge, Inc. with “hockey” in the memo line to P.O. Box 435, Madison, VA 22727.