Wheeling Park Ice Rink Gets Upgrades
The Wheeling Park Memorial Ice Rink will sport a new $560,000 chiller system to improve ice conditions for skaters during the upcoming season.
The announcement coincided with the rink’s seasonal opening Friday. The upgrades, which also include improvements to the facility’s electrical and plumbing systems, were made possible by the J.B. Chambers Foundation, the Oglebay Foundation and the Wheeling Area Hockey Association.
“The Wheeling Park Memorial Ice Rink is so much more than a sheet of frozen water,” Eriks Janelsins, president of the Oglebay Foundation, said. “It is the memories of children as they cling to their parent’s hand and make their way around the rink on a brisk winter day.”
The chiller system will firm up the ice on warmer days. The improvements are the first phase of upgrades planned for the facility, as Janelsins hinted that the park has further plans for the rink.
The rink opened in December 1959. In 1976, a roof was added to the rink, along with locker rooms, a parent viewing area and an upgraded concession stand. During its 2015-16 season, more than 21,000 admissions were recorded.
The rink is also home to four high school hockey teams, as well as two middle school teams, Wheeling Jesuit University’s club team and a number of Wheeling Area Hockey Association programs.
“These are the investments in our youth and our valley that the J.B. Chambers Foundation, the Wheeling Area Hockey Association and the Oglebay Foundation are thrilled to make,” Janelsins said.
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