CARHA Hockey and iPlayHockey are thrilled to announce that two additional public outdoor rinks will be awarded $1,000 as part of the Keep the Game We Love Going ODR Contest. The contest, which runs until March 11, 2022, celebrates Canada’s iconic winter activity as well as the individuals that keep the rinks going in our communities.

“There has been an overwhelmingly positive response since launching our Keep the Game We Love Going ODR Contest in mid-January. We knew our rinks were important, but each submission has its own unique story, and we have this great opportunity to learn about the people who work tirelessly at all hours to provide a safe place to skate. With the additional funds, what better way to celebrate and say thank you than growing our new initiative to give three public rinks an assist towards their operations for next season,” says Kristan Leach, Coordinator, Member Services and Program Development.

The popularity of outdoor skating has been on the rise over the past few years. Communities have benefited from having rinks in backyards, neighbourhood parks, public spaces, and frozen bodies of water. The contest shines a light on the rich tradition of outdoor rinks and recognizes the hard work that goes into them. Volunteers, community members and municipal workers play an essential role in maintaining these surfaces. For many rinks, without the dedicated team of volunteers they would cease to exist.

The contest is open to all communities and individuals across Canada. Submissions are accepted for public or private rinks, as well as volunteer or community member nominations (paid or unpaid positions); however, the cash prize must be directed towards the 2022-2023 operation costs of a publicly accessible outdoor rink.

It’s easy to take part and get a rink involved:

• Email photo and/or video submission to community@carhahockey.ca
• Include your name, the name of the rink or the individual(s) you are nominating, and where located. Feel free to share a few words about what the ODR means to you and/or about the individual(s) you are nominating

Full contest details, as well as official rules, are available at www.carhahockey.ca/cms/odr. General questions may be directed to community@carhahockey.ca. 

The Keep the Game We Love Going ODR Contest is part of CARHA Hockey’s dedicated community outreach initiative, which launched in the summer of 2021 as The Next Stride.

Full release is available to download here.