Coyotes’ Fry will skate 96 miles for charity
A casual skate to avoid the pandemic blues one day turned into something bigger for Lyndsey Fry, and now her daily rollerblading is leading up to a special day.
Fry, the Arizona Coyotes’ director of External Engagement & Female Hockey and president of the Arizona Kachinas Hockey Association, wondered what it would be like to skate to every ice rink in the Valley. So she mapped out distances and routes between the rinks in the area.
Fry’s idea spawned an event called “Skatin’ For Leighton,” in which she will rollerblade roughly 96 miles around the Valley to raise funds for the newly created Leighton Accardo Scholarship Fund, which will provide financial assistance to girls interested in playing hockey in Arizona.
Last week, young Leighton lost her battle with cancer at age 9. The youth hockey player was embraced by the Coyotes organization and fans for her courage and fight, and Fry had become close with Leighton and the Accardo family over the past few years.
“Just seeing the strength in this little kid, it’s inspired me and inspired a ton of people,” Fry said. “It’s really brought a lot of people together, which is something special about her for sure.”
Fry will put on her inline skates for the 96 miles some time in late January 2021.
A date will be set soon even as the NHL works toward determining a schedule for the 2020-21 season, which could open some time in January.
Fry had originally planned on a Valley-wide celebration of the Coyotes’ 25th season and the NHL’s return to play, with money raised for cancer and hospitals in general in honor of Leighton’s fight.
But when Leighton’s condition worsened, Fry altered the plan to form a scholarship fund.
“I never in a million years thought she wouldn’t be there at the finish line,” Fry said. “We’ve got this event, we have an opportunity to do something special, we’ve already been planning it, we just need to totally shift gears and go all in for her.”
The Accardo family approved. Fry hoped to raise $25,000, but adjusted it to $49,000 to represent Leighton’s No. 49 Kachinas jersey.
The Coyotes announced Fry’s skating event on Tuesday, and $5,000 was raised on the first day it was made public, she said.
Fry, a former U.S. Olympic hockey player, took part in the making of a video tribute to Leighton that was released on social media, a project she did with her brother, Wesley, that gave her family a special way to honor Leighton.
Those who want to donate to the scholarship fund can do so by visiting
the Coyotes’ website. Any donation of $49 or more includes a special t-shirt dedicated to Leighton.
Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez was on board with Fry’s plan from the start, she said.
“Leighton was a very special person, and we were all inspired by her incredible strength, courage and passion for life,” Gutierrez said in a statement. “Leighton loved the game of hockey and we are honored to create a scholarship fund in her name to carry on her legacy and provide girls throughout Arizona with an opportunity to play our great sport.”
Fry won’t be new to long-distance, long-hour skating. She’s played roller hockey, done endurance events and completed an IronMan triathlon in 2017.
A map of her skating route shows Phoenix Children’s Hospital as the starting point, with stops at ice rinks in the Arcadia area of Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, the Coyotes Community Ice Center in Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, east to west on Bell Road to Peoria with a police escort and south to Gila River Arena to end the day.
Fry welcomes the public to track her journey with technology, make signs to cheer her on or even skate with her a little. She expects to skate for 11 or 12 hours, starting at 7 a.m.
“My personality, if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it big,” Fry said.
At Mile 49, which could be close to the Mesa rink which is the home of the Kachinas, Fry hopes to do something special in honor of Leighton.