Party Fun & Fun Fundraising!

Roller skating is a recreational activity.  It’s also a sport. It’s even a mode of transportation. No matter how you skate or why, bottom line is it’s fun! The first recorded use of roller skates was in 1743 during a stage performance in London and the first public skating rink opened in 1866 in Newport, Rhode Island. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_skating. That’s a long time! Even though the skates, facilities and sport itself has changed over the years, what hasn’t is this: Roller Skating is Fun!

Pam made this roller skate cake for William!

Go to a Saturday or Sunday afternoon skating session and there will likely be a BirthdayParty taking place. And why not! Roller rinks are the perfect place for a celebration! They have great music and lighting, play lots of fun games, everyone has a good time and you don’t have to clean-up! Most rinks have a few different party packages to choose from and some even include a group lesson (or 2) for the Birthday child and his or her guests!

Roller rinks aren’t just for birthdays! Did you know you can rent a roller rink for a private skating session? How fantastic would it be to have your next party, be it a family reunion, company picnic, school reunion or graduation celebration at one?  You should definitely check out a rink in your area for your next event! http://www.rinktime.com/roller-skating-rinks/national/roller-skating-rinks

While I’m on the subject of parties, next time you’re planning a fundraiser,contact your local roller rink for a truly unique event!  Roller skating fundraisers are a quick, easy & super fun way to make money. They require minimal time & manpower. For instance, school parties take about 2 hrs and only 1 or 2 reps from the school (teacher, PTA) to “work” it. A few perks of skating parties are they help foster school spirit and get families out for an evening of fun while getting some physical activity! Fundraisers aren’t just for schools.  They’re great for all kinds of groups and clubs, especially those involving kids like Scouts, 4-H and sports teams!  I guarantee a skating party is a lot more fun than selling candy bars!  Just ask those who were at the artistic figure skating club’s annual Halloween Party last week… 

It's Tinkerbell & Peter Pan!

…or those who were at the Bow, Wow~Meow event Joy Mason organized for the Lake County HumanSociety earlier this year! Not only did she earn her Silver Girl Scout Award, the LCHS received some much needed food, supplies and cash donations!

I’d like to wrap this up with a few words on competitive skating. A new competitive season is just getting underway so here are the dates and locations of the artistic figure skating meets in Ohio for the 2013–2014 season:

DATE                     LOCATION OF CONTEST 

November 3, 2013          Ohio Awards Banquet!
December 8, 2013          Lorain Skate World League Meet, Lorain Ohio
February 9, 2014           Country Skateland League Meet, Oberlin, Ohio
March 9, 2014               Youngstown Skate League Meet, Boardman, Ohio
April 5 & 6, 2014            Country Skateland Invitational, Oberlin, Ohio
April 26 & 27, 2014         Elyria Rollarena Invitational, Elyria, Ohio
May 17 & 18. 2014         Lorain Skate World Invitational, Lorain, Ohio
August 24, 2014            Brookpark Skateland Invitational, Brook Park, Ohio

I’ll post the schedule as each meet nears.   Who knows, there might just be a few events you’d like to go see!  Also, the WorldChampionships are November 5^th -16^th in Taipei-City, China-Taipei and I will definitely keep you posted on the results, especially of Team USA! In the meantime, enjoy Alyssa’s Phillips’s freestyle and figure performance from the 2004 National Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was her 3^rd Nationals and she had just turned 9.  It’s a great way to see the difference between figures & freestyle.  SPOILER ALERT: Alyssa got 3^rd in figures! Check out her smile on the podium and make sure you watch as she skates off the floor after the awards presentation. She couldn’t contain her excitement any longer and she starts waving her arms ever so slightly…

Now go see what your local rink has waiting for you!