Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Sunshine, warm weather won't keep local kids off ice

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Monday, November 1, 1999

Sunshine, warm weather won't keep local kids off ice
Buccaneer Ice Days program offers students ice-skating discounts, pointers from IceRays team
By Venessa Santos
Caller-Times
Staff writer Venessa Santos can be reached at 886-3759 or by e-mail at santosv@caller.com

Ten-year-old Amber Diaz has never seen snow, but she is on the cutting edge when it comes to ice-skating.
   Diaz was one of the first students to attend the Buccaneer Commission's Buccaneer Ice Days last year.
   She'll be back this year in the program, which will put thousands of schoolchildren on the ice at Memorial Coliseum. These ice escapades begin today.
   Amber said the best part of skating was not falling down.
   The worst part? "You're so excited," she said, "it is hard to wait to get on the ice."
   Yeager Elementary classmate Chris Chapa, 10, is no rookie on ice either. Chris says the best part of being on the ice was getting to skate around with his friends.
   "The first time was kind of hard, but it is a lot of fun."
   His advice for newbies on ice: "Bring gloves."
   The Buccaneer Commission and the Corpus Christi IceRays are joining to give kindergarten through middle school students the chance to get out on the ice.
   "Some kids have never seen snow or ice," said program coordinator Elizabeth Ochoa. "This will be a wonderful experience for a lot of kids."
   Through the program, students can get in the rink for $1, instead of the regular skating fee of $5 with a skate rental fee of $2.
   Joe Ochoa, executive director for the Buccaneer Commission, said the program costs about $30,000 to run. The IceRays staff will be on hand to help the kids along, and some groups will have the chance to watch the team practice.
   "We have already booked 13 schools so far," Ochoa said. Slots are available in one-hour increments and are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Dates run through March 10.
   Some schools have even linked the trip to classroom studies.
   "Last year a Tuloso-Midway Elementary class was studying winter weather, and part of their lesson was to come and see ice," Ochoa said.
   Yeager Elementary physical education teacher Debbie Robinson said she wanted her kids to get the chance to skate as she did in the 1960s at Iceland in the old Stardust building.
   "This is a great way for the kids to see what it is about."

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