Westtown ice rink reopens

WESTTOWN >> Indoor ice skating and hockey are back at the former Westtown Rink.

“This was the hangout in the late 70s,” said Quaker Ice Hockey Club Treasurer Larry Rufo.

Rookie skaters will take the ice Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and the public is invited to a grand opening, with a ribbon cutting, at 10:30 a.m. Hockey players will skate most of the day at the 1646 West Chester Pike rink.

The grand opening will include a bounce house, face painting and caricature drawing.

The 100-member volunteer Quaker Hockey Club signed a 20-year lease for the space and took over on July 9. Extensive renovations by volunteers and builder Oscar Daum are ongoing.

The rink first opened in 1973 and closed in 1986. Kirkwood Fitness and Racquet Club occupied the space that for the past decade stood mostly empty and underused.

Hockey will be the main draw for what Rufo said is an “ongoing project.” Public skating will soon be offered. While the ice is rock hard and the temperature in the building is cool, no stands have yet been built and renovation of spaces for a snack bar and pro shop are underway.

The rink hosts a long history. During construction, Rufo said that a steady stream of visitors peeked through the windows on the doors and walked into the building.

Hundreds of skaters played with the Quakers and Rufo said those former players are “pleasantly surprised” with the ongoing work.

Linda Ryan, president of the Quakers Ice Hockey said the transformation is a miracle since the site was in an unbe-

lievable state when 15 volunteers started performing renovations.

“It was a lot of hard work and long hours and a lot of dedication from a lot of people,” Ryan said.

Rev. Bill Hess was at the rink on Tuesday when a younger relative laced up the skates.

He said that ice time is at a premium for both boys and girls aged from 7 to 19 years old. Reestablishing

the rink will also cut down on travel time for the traveling club Quakers who now will have a home rink.

“The Quakers were founded 45 years ago as a youth hockey ‘travel club,’” reads a release. “The club brings a rare reasonability and perspective to youth sports, believing in the balance between the benefits of competition and a well-rounded life outside of hockey for our youth players.”

For more information go to www.quakersicehockey. info

BILL RETTEW — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA For the first time in about a decade, hockey players skate in Westtown.