Pelham Civic Complex hosts Get Out and Skate Day

Published 4:12 pm Monday, January 8, 2024

By Barton Perkins

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By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – The ice inside the Pelham Civic Complex was full of joy on Saturday, Jan. 6, as the sixth annual Get Out and Skate Day was held.

“For a lot of people who’ve never skated before, the Get out and Skate Day just gives everyone a chance to try a pair of skates on,” said Christian Newberry, the new Director of the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena’s skating program.

Newberry only started working at the Pelham Civic Complex around the start of the new year, but he already has plans to further build the Complex’s established figure skating program. 

“We’re trying to get Pelham back on the map,” Newberry said. “We’ve had some pretty good skaters come out of Pelham and Birmingham in the past, and we’re looking to get that happening again.” 

As part of this initiative, Newberry plans to hold other events similar to Get out and Skate Day that will give people a chance to experience skating in a low-stress environment and potentially become interested in taking lessons.

Get Out and Skate Day began at 10 a.m. and guests laced up their skates before taking part in free lessons given by the complex’s skating instructors. This was followed by a series of ice dancing and figure skating exhibitions put on by different students in the complex’s lesson program, a 30 minute free skate and the chance for participants to sign up for future lessons.

Overall, the event was a massive success with an estimated 150 people having taken to the ice and with a chance to see skaters perform different routines. Newberry hopes to hold at least two other Get out and Skate Days or similar events to make people more aware of Pelham’s skating program and give them a chance to experience the sport themselves.

“Giving it a try is the biggest thing,” Newberry said. “Come out and give it a try. Even if you just want to come out to a public session to begin with and see how that goes and if you like it, we have the program to take you further.”

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