The dire need of a long-term solution to Airdrie’s lack of ice surfaces, coupled with last week’s news of delays to the Plainsmen Arena renovations, motivated 144 notable members of the community to come together for a fundraising golf tournament on Aug. 25.
The inaugural Raise the Rinks Golf Classic, hosted by the Airdrie Regional Recreational Enhancement Society (ARRES) at Woodside Golf Course, featured local hockey stars Dana Tyrell, Zack Boychuk and Darcy Campbell, as well as retired Olympic luger Eric Pothier, Mayor Peter Brown and Rogers Sportsnet commentator Roger Millions.
They were all on hand to promote awareness to the shortage of ice in the bustling city.
“This community and the hockey here has kind of made us the people we are today and helped us make it to the NHL and do what we want to do for a living,” Boychuk said. “Anytime you can give back, especially when it’s in desperate need – it’s important. If you want to develop kids, they need ice time.”
The mayor agreed.
“This is a great initiative,” Brown said. “All the people involved with ARRES have done an awesome job. It’s all about the fundraising and bringing awareness to the need of new ice surfaces in the community. Everybody seems to be having lots of fun – and we got a birdie on the first hole, so that works pretty good.”
ARRES is trying to raise $4 million, or 25 per cent of the $16 million needed, for the community’s portion of Phase III of Genesis Place. It will feature two new NHL-sized ice surfaces, new dressing rooms and a large lobby area.
“We’ve got a bunch of sponsorship available for the interior of the building – you could have the City View Arena or the City View dressing room – at a particular cost,” joked ARRES president Jack Lumley. “But it’s really not about making money today, it’s about letting the community know what we’re doing
“Growing up playing here, I’ve always had support, so it’s nice to give back,” said Campbell. “It’s just a good cause for Airdrie. It’s a growing city and there is really only the Ron Ebbesen Twin Arena that is a quality rink. We need more hockey rinks for the amount of kids that are coming up.”
Renovation delays to the Plainsmen Arena project have pushed its re-opening date back to Oct. 30, three weeks behind schedule, so the timing for the golf tournament could not have been better, according to many of the golfers.
“The (delay to the opening of the) Plainsmen is very unfortunate and it’s certainly a circumstance that could have been avoided in my mind,” Brown said. “There are some things we’ll be looking into. We’re not happy, I can assure you of that.”
“We clearly need more arenas,” Lumley said. “When the Ron Ebbesen was built, we had 12,000 people in this city. Now we’ve got three (surfaces) for 42,000.”
Pothier, who was named one of Airdrie’s first elite athletes earlier this year, said he was excited about the increase of sporting facilities in the city.
“Adding two more ice sheets to Airdrie is a good thing,” he said.
“I grew up here in Airdrie, so anytime I can do anything to help out, I’m usually for it.”
“Another ice surface would be huge for more opportunities and more development for younger players,” Tyrell said. “I think everybody’s looking forward to it. Me and Zach have had this tournament on our calendars all summer and we’re committed to it. We’re happy to give back to the community where we grew up.”
Lumley said he was impressed with the turnout and feedback, and that he was already fielding questions about next year.
“Those guys have been absolutely awesome,” he said of Tyrell, Boychuk, Campbell and Pothier specifically. “Every one of them has said ‘I assume, you’re doing this again next year and I know you’ve got my phone number.’”
