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Sylvan Lake Figure Skating Club reaches 45 year anniversary

Looking forward to the future the club wants to keep figure skating alive and kids active
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File Photo

This year marked a milestone for the Sylvan Lake Figure Skating Club.

With the turn of the decade, the year 2020 brought the club’s 45th year of service.

Melody Gillespie, past-president of the Sylvan Lake Figure Skating Club, says the milestone is both awesome and hard to believe.

“The community kept us running for the entire 45 years, but it’s just volunteers and kids’ interest that makes the club really possible,” Gillespie explained in a phone interview.

“We’ve definitely had some challenges keeping things going with the old barn falling and less ice and I’ll even say economy, but its been good.”

Over the years, Gillespie says, the club has hosted “amazing and well attended” competitions, and had skaters progress as far as adult competitions and Winter Games.

She added it is also fun to watch the big smiles of the little ones just getting started, and watching them grow into skaters and even coaches.

Looking to the future, the club aims to keep figure skating alive, keep kids active and host more competitions to enable the rest of the province to enjoy the community.

“I think it’s just a Canadian thing to do, to figure skate and have that winter activity,” commented Gillespie.

The club is all possible because of volunteers and the love of skating, says Gillespie.

“Even the community just coming out to watch and cheer on the kids, whether it’s just a carnival or a showcase or our competitions, it makes our club successful.”

The Sylvan Lake Figure Skating Club’s 2019/2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Year End Showcase scheduled for March 15 was cancelled.

Skate Canada: Alberta-NWT/Nunavut also cancelled its Annual Awards Banquet.