Andrew L. Hicks, Jr. Foundation | Learn-To-Skate 2011

On Sunday, March 20, 2011, two of Andrew’s friends, Justin Knisely and Kyle Schmitt, held as their senior project, a Learn-To-Skate event at Ice Line Quad Rinks in West Chester, PA. The Foundation transported over 60 Chester children and almost 35 Chester adult chaperones to Ice Line where the children were paired with a high school ice hockey player from one of four local high schools. The hockey programs that participated in the Learn-To-Skate were: West Chester Henderson High School, West Chester Rustin High School, Conestoga High School, Downingtown West High School, and a girls’ team made up of players from a variety of local high schools. Every hockey player arrived excited and ready to make it an awesome day for their Chester friend.

68 high school skaters met their Chester buddy at the door, quickly got acquainted and then got them fitted for skates. Each Chester child was then gifted with a jersey from their buddy. Most jerseys belonged to the hockey players and were theirs back in the day when they first learned to skate! The Chester children were ecstatic as they quickly donned their new jersey right on top of their winter coat! Then the pair took to the ice and the hockey players began to instruct and encourage the kids. Some even took a minute to build their trust; proving they knew what they were doing by taking a few quick laps forward and backwards! The skaters stayed on the ice until lunch was served and then jumped back on for some more skating. In the end, everyone enjoyed brownies and cake together before taking the skates off. It was a great day, sometimes building on friendships that were established at previous Andrew L. Hicks, Jr. Foundation events, and sometimes beginning a new bond.