Rink Services Group Helps Keep Portsmouth Skating With $5,000 Match Challenge Fundraiser For Labrie Family Skate At Puddle Dock Pond

Member news from the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth:

January 14, 2021

PORTSMOUTH—Rink Services Group, which manages Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond for Strawbery Banke, issued a $5,000 match challenge seeking donations to match that amount over the upcoming MLK Day weekend. The online fundraiser goes live on Friday, January 15, at 10 AM on Facebook via Facebook.com/PuddleDockPondAtStrawberyBanke. Donations can also be made at strawberybanke.org. All donations made through Monday, January 18, will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to the fundraiser total of $5,000.

As a result of the pandemic, Labrie Family Skate is operating at reduced capacity to maintain physical distancing and the safety of skaters. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend fundraiser is even more critical now as, even in years without pandemic restrictions, revenues from rink ticket sales and skate rentals do not cover the cost of operations. The cost of the annual installation and removal of the seasonal outdoor skating rink and equipment repairs is substantial.

“Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond is such a wonderful asset to the community in the winter, especially this year during the pandemic,” said Gary Warriner, owner of Rink Services Group. “Rink Services Group is proud to anchor the fourth annual fundraising challenge as a way to ‘keep Portsmouth skating’ and providing healthy outdoor activities for families during these very challenging times.”

“Strawbery Banke is so grateful for the continued support and generosity of Rink Services Group and their annual challenge fundraiser,” said Lawrence J. Yerdon, Strawbery Banke Museum President and CEO. “Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond depends on the support of local businesses, organizations, and individual donations; and this fundraiser is a great opportunity to focus on the need and the community that supports it.”

Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For information, including the weekly schedule, visitStrawberyBanke.org/skate.cfm

About Strawbery Banke Museum

Strawbery Banke Museum, in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, is a 10-acre history museum interpreting 300+ years of American history through historical houses on their original foundations, heirloom gardens, traditional crafts, and costumed role-players sharing the stories of the families who lived in the authentic waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock. The Museum welcomes visitors, members, schoolchildren, and volunteers for daily programs, exhibits, skating, and signature special events throughout the year. For a calendar of events, visit strawberybanke.org.

This press release was produced by the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. The views expressed are the author's own.