Ion Bank Foundation Grant to Help Pay for Ice Skating Rink in Naugatuck

Winter scenes that could have been lifted directly from a Currier & Ives print will be taking place in Naugatuck regularly beginning this winter thanks to a $3,000 donation by the Ion Bank Foundation that will be used to help bring a portable outdoor ice skating rink to St. Francis Field on Church Street.

The donation, which was made to the Naugatuck Beautification Committee, a subcommittee of the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp., will help pay for a 72x92-foot portable skating rink.

“The rink has been ordered from its manufacturer and is expected to be fully operational by the time the weather turns cold enough to support outdoor skating, most likely at some point in December," said Linda Ramos, a borough Park Commission member and the head of the Beautification Committee.

The ice rink, which will be roughly the same size as a regulation basketball court, will utilize an open design plan and will not be enclosed by Plexiglass boards or barriers. The ice surface will be roughly 4 inches thick, a depth that will require about 16,560 gallons of frozen water.

Pending all necessary approvals, the rink will be assembled at St. Francis Field at the beginning of every winter and then disassembled and stored by the Parks and Recreation Department every spring, Ramos said.

The Foundation’s donation covered about half the cost of purchasing the rink. The balance of the purchase cost was raised through public donations and fundraising events, Ramos said.

Since St. Francis Field is already outfitted with lights, the general public will be able to enjoy the rink on winter nights as well as during the day.

Present plans call for a suggested donation be made to use the rink, Ramos said. The money collected from donations would be placed into an account which would be used to finance repairs and purchase replacement parts for the rink.

A snack hut that already exists at the site could be utilized to serve the skaters warm beverages and portable rest rooms would be brought in to further accommodate the skaters.

The rink would be supervised by the borough’s Park Department during town-sanctioned events and by volunteers at other times.

The rink may also be used as a venue for youth hockey games, Ramos said. Plans to install benches and bleachers are already in the works, she said.

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Ion Bank, which was founded in 1870, offers deposit services, mortgages, insurance, trust and investment services, business banking and online banking through its network of 19 branches in 13 towns.

The Ion Bank Foundation, which was established in 1998, has awarded more than $4 million in grants over the past decade for purposes ranging from improving social services to enhancing the arts. The goal of the foundation, which currently has more than $6 million in assets, is to give about 5 percent of its endowment each year to nonprofit organizations involved in enriching the lives of people living in local communities.

For more information, visit ionbank.com or call 203.729.4442. You can also follow the bank by clicking “Like” on its Facebook page at facebook.com/ionbank or on Twitter at twitter.com/ion_bank.

Note: This press release was submitted by ion Bank and posted by Paul Singley.