Families are taking to the “ice” this holiday season as Virgin Islands Search and Rescue’s artificial ice rink returns to Nanny Cay.
“ For the last five years, we’ve been helping to create memories for the community,” organiser Julie Schneider told the Beacon. “The kids that are on the ice here, they don’t remember Christmas without ice skating.”
The fifth annual “Winter Wonderland” fundraiser is being held in Nanny Cay for the second time after moving from the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park.
Starting today, the rink will be open every day through Dec. 30, except for Christmas Day.
Origins
Ms. Schneider said the idea for the artificial rink came from seeing a similar set-up in Florida. When she saw the children skating there, she recalled, she thought VI children would love such an activity too.
“So when I was working full time at VISAR, I pitched it to the board,” she said. “And after many conversations, they saw my vision for it, and they said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ And so far, it’s been a smash hit every season. So we’re very thankful to the community for supporting it.”
Volunteers
Many volunteers for the event are high school students, Ms. Schneider said. Working with the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, students have been able to fill some of their required volunteer hours through helping out with customer service responsibilities and managing the rink, according to the organiser.
Some volunteers from past seasons — such as Tyrique Isaacs and J’von Smith — have now become staff members.
“Initially I saw my friends volunteering, and then, because of them, I wanted to volunteer as well,” said Mr. Smith, who started volunteering at the rink in 2021.
Since then, he added, he became interested in helping people.
“From that point on, when I received employment, I took the opportunity to learn more about people — different people at that — and building myself in a bigger place within customer service,” he said.
For Mr. Isaacs, the “environment” is what kept him coming back to work the fundraiser.
“I like the energy of being around people and meeting all the new faces every time I come through,” he said. “And, you know, it’s always fun to help people enjoy it too.”
Like Mr. Smith, Mr. Isaacs began volunteering at the rink three years ago.
“Honestly, [ice skating] is something you really wouldn’t think you would ever see [here], and it’s just really cool that it’s here and we get to do it almost every year,” he said.
Popular
The rink opened the weekend after the US Thanksgiving holiday, and from then until Sunday it was open only on the weekends, according to Ms. Schneider.
So far, she said, the event has been “fantastic.”
“This [past] weekend, I would say the majority of the sessions were sold out, and last weekend we had a few private parties, so we were sold out then,” she said. “We were busy our first weekend. So it’s just been incredible.”
