Why support SkateTherapy?
The idea for therapeutic skating began when Jim O’Neill founded STARskaters in 2008 with the purpose of providing an on-ice experience for individuals with disabilities. With the expertise of B.L. Wylie’s volunteer instructors and modeling the program after US Figure Skating’s 14 level badge program, the Therapeutic Skating program began to take off. It was at a lunch on October 26, 2011 with B.L. Wylie that the name SkateTherapy was born.
SkateTherapy.org was officially organized as another program to be offered, along with Sled Hockey, under the STARskaters 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The first meeting of SkateTherapy.org included 5 students and 7 coaches, with keen interest among all involved. The ensuing years have seen great growth, in all aspects, including enough coaches for each student to have a one to one relationship with a coach. The unsung heroes in this program are the pre-teen and teenage – college level Instruction staff!. While the SkateTherapy program is entirely supported by volunteers, there are many costs that need to be covered, such as:
- Ice time
- Adaptive equipment
- Skates
- Therapeutic equipment
SkateTherapy has changed the lives of those it serves. Each and every student is treated with the utmost care, and the biggest goal of every volunteer is to help them meet their goals.
This spring, we are holding a concert benefitting SkateTherapy. We look forward to using our music to raise money for this incredible cause.