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NGB News USA Hockey & U.S. Figure Skating 44 / NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2018 USICERINKS.COM Sign Up NOW for 2019 National Skating Month Register Your Rink for February's Try Hockey For Free Day , Host site registration is officially open for the February 23, 2019, Try Hockey For Free Day! Try Hockey events are a great opportunity to introduce new families to your rink and transition them into Spring Learn-To-Skate and Learn- To-Play programming. This year's event falls on the Saturday during Hockey Week Across America. Events with programs during the week designed to celebrate the sport of hockey at all levels and expose the sport to new audiences. Kicking off the weeklong celebration will be Hockey Day in America on Sunday, February 17. Each day of the following week will include a theme, including individual days to salute players (Monday), coaches (Tuesday), officials (Wednesday) and local rinks (Thursday), as well as the traditional themes of Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey Day (Friday), Try Hockey For Free Day (Saturday) and Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes (Sunday). To serve as a Try Hockey For Free host site, each rink must provide at least one hour of ice for the event, an adequate volunteer staff, and loaner equipment. Each participant must be outfitted in a minimum of helmet, skates, and gloves. The first 350 rinks that register to serve as a Try Hockey host site on February 23 will receive a variety of promotional resources that can be used to bolster marketing efforts and maximize the impact of your event. These rinks will also receive event support in the form of an online registration portal, event sanctioning, and giveaways. To learn more about becoming a Try Hockey host site, please visit usahockeyprogramservices.com and register your rink today! , This January, we invite you to discover your inner superhero and "skate to superpowers" with 2019 National Skating Month! National Skating Month is an opportunity for rinks, clubs and programs to celebrate skating and invite new families to the ice by offering free lessons, skating demonstrations and open house events. With National Skating Month right around the corner, it is time to plan your events and reserve your National Skating Month kits. Host one event or a dozen— it's completely up to you! This year's theme is Skate to Superpowers. Everyone is encouraged to plan energetic, family-friendly events that showcase the fun and empowering nature of ice skating. The size, scope and frequency of National Skating Month events are at the discretion of the host organization. We recommend reserving at least one kit per event. Each $40 kit contains an official National Skating Month poster, themed marketing materials, numerous giveaway items and a turnkey activity to enhance your event. Kits are available for purchase starting on Sept. 6, 2018, and are available while supplies last. Go to usfigureskating.org to reserve your 2019 National Skating Month kit. Upon registration, you will receive an open house kit that includes posters, a how-to handbook, a media packet with sample press releases and announcements for customization, raffle items, autograph cards, skating stickers and other great skating souvenirs. It's all done for you—just set the date and follow the instructions. Sign up through November 30 or until supplies last. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Susi Wehrli McLaughlin at swehrli@usfigureskating.org. J , Welcome more than 25,000 families to your facility with Try Hockey for Free events.