Lysander Youth Hockey continues fundraising through pandemic
By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
The coronavirus pandemic might have put a freeze on businesses, schools and sports for most of 2020, but for the Lysander Youth Hockey Association, the show must go on. Despite the restrictions in place for gatherings and group sports, LYHA is still working to raise money for its “Revive the Rink” campaign.
In February, LYHA announced that it had signed a 10-year lease agreement on the Lysander Ice Arena with the facility’s owner, Home Ice 1, LLC, with an option to extend that lease up by 30 additional years. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“We created an entire business plan and we looked at all different scenarios … but I never factored COVID in,” said Charla Roth, a member of the LYHA board of directors. “This has definitely thrown a kink in our plans.”
New York state has deemed ice hockey a “higher-risk” sport where it is difficult to practice physical distancing or disinfect shared equipment. Other sports in this risk category are cheerleading, volleyball, wrestling, basketball and football. The Syracuse Figure Skating Club also practices at Lysander Ice Arena, and Roth said figure skating has been deemed a lower-risk activity than ice hockey.
“We’re hopeful that as we move through Phase Four that those restrictions get lifted or loosened. … There is a possibility for open skate as long as we keep our gatherings [within state limits]. We can hold clinics at the ice rink,” Roth said. “Our association has to follow USA Hockey rules which has stated that we cannot have practices at this time, unfortunately.”
Despite the restrictions, Roth said LYHA is hoping to get on the ice by the end of the month. In the meantime, young hockey players like her own children, Abigail and Bryce, are practicing at home with hand-eye coordination practice, agility drills and street hockey on roller blades or on foot. Abigail, 12, is a goalie on Lysander’s 14U girls team and Bryce, 9, plays for the 10U team. Dad Randy Roth coaches both teams.
“We’re trying to do some off-ice training with our kids and keep them active as much as we can without physical ice,” Charla Roth said.
Throughout the pandemic, LYHA has been holding various fundraisers to support the Revive the Rink initiative: raffling off gift baskets from local businesses, hosting Zoom bingo, helping out at the Earth Day 5K on July 12 and collecting bottles and cans.
“We are coming up with lots of creative ways to raise money during COVID,” Roth said.
The bottle and can drive is ongoing. The Ream family has set up a donation trailer by their home at 20 E. Oneida St. in Baldwinsville. Drop off your empties or text 315-382-5520 to schedule contact-free pickup.
“We will be collecting bottles for the unforeseeable future,” Roth said. “So far we’ve raised $3,500.”
LYHA is selling 50/50 raffle tickets for $50 each and is seeking sponsorships on the rink’s dasher boards from local businesses. To purchase a raffle ticket or learn about sponsorship opportunities, email [email protected].
While the skaters are itching to get back on the ice, there is still much work to be done at the arena. LYHA is hoping to convert Rink 1 into a turf field by the end of August.
“We are working with the owner on fulfilling some of the repairs that need to be done to the building in order to take occupancy,” Roth said.
The arena will have to hire more staff to keep the facility disinfected and Roth has been researching what cleaning products to use once the rink reopens to the public.
“All in all, I think we’re very anxious to get back on the ice,” she said. “We want to do it safely.”
