programs

Community Development Grants

The Community Development Grants, provided by the Robert V. Hauff and John F. Dreeland Foundation, were established in 2010 with the purpose of providing funding to eligible member clubs and Basic Skills programs throughout the United States to develop community-based programs and events that will attract, involve and inspire new generations of figure skaters.

U.S. Figure Skating is awarding six grants for the 2013-14 membership year. The purpose of these grants is to provide money to selected member clubs, Basic Skills programs and STAR member facilities to develop community-based programs/events to attract, involve and inspire new generations of figure skaters.

Six $2,000 grants will be allocated to the member clubs, Basic Skills programs and STAR member facilities that most effectively demonstrate how they will use the grant to develop these initiatives.

The 2013-14 recipients of the Community Development Grant are EduSkating/Fever on Ice (Hartford, Conn.); BC Winter Club (Binghamton, N.Y.); Northeast Ice Skating Club (Haverhill, Mass.); Spokane Figure Skating Club (Spokane, Wash.); Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena (Washington); and the Figure Skating Club of Cincinnati (Cincinnati).

• EduSkating/Fever on Ice will further its partnerships with eight Bridgeport, Conn., schools by providing basic skating instruction to third grade students throughout the academic year.
  
• The BC Winter Club will continue to offer two Basic Skills programs following financial setbacks caused by Hurricane Lee.
  
• The Northeast Ice Skating Club will extend its Basic Skills marketing strategy to incorporate the “Tri-Town Area” of Boxford, Topsfield and Middleton, Mass.
  
• The Spokane Figure Skating Club will add up to three one hour ice sessions per week as part of its Advanced Learn to Skate classes.
  
• The Friends of Dupont Ice Arena will fund the Advanced Figure Skating component of its Kids On Ice Positive Learning Using Skating (KOI PLUS) program.
  
• The Figure Skating Club of Cincinnati will establish the U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Program at their home rink.

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The following is a list of recipients of 2011-12 Hauff and Dreeland Community Development Grants along with brief program descriptions.

AGame Skate Academy - Franklin, Tenn., will add a Theatre on Ice class to its summer schedule for skaters at no additional charge. This free time on the ice will allow more people to experience the Basic Skills program, while helping them better determine if they would like to become members of U.S. Figure Skating.

Alaska Association of Figure Skaters will create a Learn to Skate with AAFS program, which will give beginning skaters the tools to succeed in a competition environment. Skaters will be given lessons from coaches and will learn about choreography, music selection and Basic Skills.

Alpine Edge Figure Skating Club - Grayling, Mich., will host a Michigan Basic Skills Series competition at its home ice rink in Gaylord, Mich. The event will provide skaters with an affordable opportunity to experience a higher-level competition, while increasing membership for the club and U.S. Figure Skating.

Bowling Green Skating Club, Ohio, will offer the Ice Skating Adventure program this fall. The program provides the Bowling Green community with a free, fun and exciting opportunity to experience ice skating.

Magic City Figure Skating Club - Minot, N.D., will develop community-based programs and events to attract, involve and inspire new generations of figure skaters. The grant will support a program that will offer up to 30 free memberships and Basic Skills classes to residents of the Minot Air Force Base.

The Pasadena Figure Skating Club will continue its promotion of the Basic Skills Program in Southern California. This program has introduced local skaters to the thrill of U.S. Figure Skating competitions and has also provided skating classes to local schools, economically challenged families and children with special needs.

Pavilion Skating Club of Cleveland Heights will develop its Basic Skills program, which will give more skaters the chance to take Basic Skills classes and advance in the sport. The program will also promote club participation.

Saranac Lake Figure Skating Academy will enhance its synchronized skating program by lowering fees and keeping it affordable for local families. The program gives children of the Saranac Lake community the chance to learn about and participate in the fast-growing sport of synchronized skating.

Skating Club of Southern Connecticut will host its annual Basic Skills competition, which was cancelled last year due to financial difficulties. The return and funding of the competition will give young skaters the opportunity to compete and showcase what they have learned throughout the season.

St. Moritz Ice Skating Club will broaden the reach of its after-school skating program, which is offered to children in kindergarten through third grade. For the last three years, the program has given children living in an urban environment a safe place to go after school and the chance to learn how to skate.

The Ice Den in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the Tanner Catalano Foundation will fund its Tanner's Kids program, which is free and available to the community of Scottsdale. Tanner's Kids is an outreach program that provides local families the opportunity to experience figure skating. It provides three 45-minute classes to children, ages 4‒8, with professional instruction.

Yellowstone Valley Skating Club will improve one of Billings' outdoor ice rinks by giving it a liner, which will allow it to host more outdoor skating activities for the local community. The grant will also help in marketing fun skating opportunities to families living in Billings.