It is part of a larger $3.5 million renovation of the Tomlinson Family Foundation Clubhouse at the Boys and Girls Club. Each of the children on the field trip Thursday is a member of the club.
Colleen Mooney, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, watched one boy from the group walk up to the mock-up of the rink sitting on an easel. He watched as the boy stared at the representation of the rink and then said to nobody in particular, "Wow, we are going to have an ice rink. That is so cool. I love hockey."
"It was so awesome to see," Mooney said.
The children went crazy when Spartacat, the Senators' mascot, showed up; they were smiling and laughing as the wore their red Senators T-shirts and posed for selfies with the mascot.
The opportunity for more children to play hockey is nice, but the other benefits the donation will bring to the community represent the biggest payoff for the latest Sens Rink.
"This is exactly why it is a legacy project, because it's a philanthropic project left behind in the community that hosts these big events," said Omar Mitchell, NHL VP Corporate Social Responsibility. "It's geared to the kids because not only do we want to make sure they are learning to play hockey, but we want them to learn the values that our sport teaches -- values like perseverance, dedication, teamwork and respect. Those are the things we know they can take and become better students, better adults and better citizens."
The Senators and the Senators Foundation have seen the benefits of these multipurpose rinks as others have already been built in other areas in and around the city as part of the Sens Rink initiative, an ongoing commitment by the Senators Foundation to give families access to year-round activities, enabling the community to stay active and establish healthy routines. The rinks have become the social and athletic hubs of their respective communities, providing a safe place for children to learn various sports and enjoy the sense of belonging to a team and a community.
"Kids get active doing the right things," said Tom Anselmi, president and chief executive officer of the Ottawa Senators. "Kids, all they need is a place to play and they'll play. If they don't have a place to play, they'll do something else. This is about giving them an opportunity to give them a bit of education and people helping them along the way so the outcome is kids that are heathier and a healthier community. It grows the sport and it makes fans, but at the end of the day we are all part of the community, and hockey is a big community in itself, and if we can do this and make kids better fans, better people, that's what it is all about. It doesn't get any better than that."
The outdoor rink will have a new asphalt playing surface to accommodate various sports, including ball hockey, ringette, broomball and futsal. In the winter, the rink will have an ice surface to accommodate skating. The surface will be enclosed by permanent hockey boards and fencing along the boards. The surrounding area will have a new LED lighting system installed, as well as recycling and garbage bins. Snow removal equipment will be donated to help keep the rink accessible all year.
As part of a League-wide and Ottawa Senators commitment to hockey at the grassroots level, hockey equipment, including skates, helmets, hockey nets, sticks, and balls, will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club. Additionally, hockey programming developed by the Senators will be offered to the community to help teach all ages and skill levels different aspects of the game.
