To the Editor,
Bravo to the Sentinel for – per usual – hitting the hot button on important town issues. The Dorothy Hamill Rink is certainly a worthy one. Thank you for pointing out the need for a new facility & for outlining potential steps forward by Bill Drake, his committee and town officials.
Ice skating has long been an important winter component of the Greenwich scene. The rink on Windy Hill has served many over the years. Dorothy’s 1976 Olympic win & the renaming in her honor gave it focus. A big step forward was the rink’s enclosure (but still one of the coldest places on the planet1). When our family – the Godfreys – happened on the scene in 1980, we came with our figure skates and hockey skates. Daughter Alex (now Alexandra Walko) was a figure skater; young son Thompson played for the Greenwich Blues; I was an ice dancer & president of the Windy Hill Skating Club. Many hours were spent at the rink. It was clear that the rink, changing space etc. were sub-standard.
A group of us vowed to make some changes. That was back in 1984. The idea was to do a fundraiser & then ask the Town to match those funds for facility improvements. I was co-chair of the committee & felt that our most promising option was to ask US World & Olympic hometown champion Dorothy to skate at the rink in an ice revue along with kids in the various skating disciplines. Bless Dorothy, she agreed. She skated two shows to sell-out crowds. Although the money raised (approximately $45,000) doesn’t seem like a windfall today, it was significant then. Following the successful event, we asked for the Town matching funds. We were told that we should return in a year with rink-improvement plans. However, we already had the plans & handed them over on the spot. Improvements were made. Now it is time for a total reset. Add a new chapter to this story.
So many town citizens and officials were supportive of the “Dorothy for Hamill Rink” project. Among them were the late Frank Keegan, head of Parks & Recreation; First Selectman Roger Pearson (1983-1985) and the staff at the rink.
Sincerely,
Nancy Lundy
