Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/621102
STARRINKS.COM JANUARY.FEBRUARY.2016 / 15 bunch of land in that area that got devel- oped as soccer fields, baseball fields and basketball courts. Because this was specific to an ice rink, it took a while. "Initially it was going to be built as a for-profit. But the nature of that sort of investment is that it's hard to raise capital. Jack Norqual got involved about seven or eight years ago. He convinced the people involved to switch it to a nonprofit. It took off from there." Making Connections As Bruyere says, finding the proper fund- ing is what held Santa Barbara back from getting its own ice rink for many years. The lion's share of the credit for cutting through this red tape belongs to Jack Norqual, a 70-year-old Minnesota native and former college hockey player who has lived in the area for years. Norqual, a former Xerox executive who sits on USA Hockey's Board of Directors, made several calls to friends and former busi- ness associates to raise more than $6 million to fund the project from start to finish. One of the men Norqual called was his neighbor in nearby Montecito— Philadelphia Flyers owner and founder Ed Snider. Ice in Paradise's two rinks bear Norqual and Snider's names, thanks to their contributions. "Jack was the main cog, especially with him being able to talk to Ed," Bruyere said. "It helped to have two hockey guys like that nearby. Jack, being from Minnesota and very involved with USA Hockey, and Ed, obviously with his hockey and business background. Both are businessmen who lived in Montecito. Somewhere along the way, they made that connection." Another local resident with NHL ties who helped Ice in Paradise get off the ground was Steve Heinze. Heinze, a Massachusetts native, played in the NHL from 1991 to 2003, mostly for his hometown Boston Bruins. Heinze had chosen to retire in Santa Barbara after finishing his playing career with the Los Angeles Kings. Heinze serves as secretary and communi- ty co-chair for Ice in Paradise and coaches a high school team that's based in the facility. "Steve is very much involved," Ice in Paradise program manager Matt Dugan said. "He volunteers, he coaches. He'll go out and just skate with the general popu- lation to make sure everyone's having a good time. He's also on our board and the coach of our high school team. "Our high school hockey team, it's one team comprised of a couple schools. They play in the L.A. Kings High School Hockey League." , Continued on page 16 "HAVING THE KINGS BEHIND LOCAL HOCKEY HAS BEEN GREAT. THEY COME IN, SUPPORT THE KIDS AND BRING THE KINGS CREW UP TO DO THE ICE FOR ONE OF THE GAMES. IT REALLY BRINGS AWARENESS TO THE GAMES FOR THE WHOLE AREA...THEY SPREAD THE NAME OF HOCKEY."