City & MFF invite community to Grand Re-Opening of Kids Rink

For Immediate Release

Trail BC – The City of Trail and the Murphy Family Foundation will officially re-open the Kids Rink in the Trail Memorial Centre on Saturday, December 30 at 10:30 AM, following substantial capital improvements. The project included a new concrete floor, new boards, and improvements to the viewing area adjacent to the ice surface. These upgrades now allow for year-round ice and programming in the Kids Rink. The Murphy Family Foundation contributed approximately $945,000 CDN to the upgrades and an additional $227,460 CDN to support free community programming, like public skating and sensory friendly skating programs, in the Trail Memorial Centre.

The celebration aligns with the official opening of the Kids Rink on December 30, 1953. The City will replicate the opening program with a performance by the Trail Pipe Band and speeches from the City, Murphy Family Foundation, and Greater Trail Minor Hockey Association. Following the brief formal program will be a free skate featuring members of the Trail Smoke Eaters, Stax, and free hot chocolate. Skate rentals will be available.

“We are so incredibly grateful for the Murphy Family Foundation’s ongoing support and dedication to our youth, community, and recreational facilities,” said Mayor Colleen Jones. “We are thrilled to mark the re-opening of the Kids Rink on this momentous and appropriate day. The amenities in the Trail Memorial Centre are pivotal recreational venues for the entire region and we are thankful the Murphy Family Foundation shares our vision of a vibrant and healthy community. We look forward to seeing our community make use of the new Kids Rink facility by offering more free family-friendly, accessible ice-skating programs.”

“When we look at the improved Kids Rink, we can now begin to implement the amazing opportunities the facility has to offer the region,” said Madelyn Murphy-Homer, Murphy Family Foundation Director. “We are delighted with the results of this project and cannot wait to see how the community embraces the possibilities these upgrades afford us all year long.”

About the Murphy Family Foundation

The Murphy Family Foundation is a Minnesota based foundation focused on supporting organizations dedicated to youth development. With specific focuses on funding education, the arts, entrepreneurship, and sports programming for youth, the foundation is committed to the belief that every young person in every community has the right to thrive.

About the Kids Rink in the Trail Memorial Centre

The Kids Rink in the Trail Memorial Centre was built in 1953, four years after the construction of the Cominco Arena. The Kids Rink has a 70’ x 147’ ice surface, a viewing area from the McIntyre Room, and a small ice-side viewing area. The rink is used extensively for skating, hockey, private rentals and is equipped with laser light technology and a sound system.

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