The 10th anniversary of the Black Ice Pond Hockey Tournament last weekend started as a community celebration but soon changed into a weekend of disappointment. The event takes 12 months to plan and weeks to put into motion. In the blink of an eye, warm weather forced us to cancel the tournament.
If you had the chance to stop by White Park on Thursday night, Jan. 23, or Friday morning, Jan. 24, you understand the attraction to Black Ice. This winter city gathering could not happen without the ice maintenance from the Concord Parks & Rec staff, generous donations from our sponsors, a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President’s Grant Fund of the Princeton Area Community, and countless hours from our volunteers.
That Thursday night featured 17 teams and 260 kids from local youth hockey programs skating under the lights. It was a thrill that the kids and parents will not soon forget.
The next day, the Black Ice Championship kicked off for 90 teams and close to 700 adult players. By the afternoon, the pond surface had turned to slush.
This nonprofit is a labor of love and has raised over $450,000 for the city, local booster clubs and charities, as well as funding a large part of the new Merrimack Lodge at White Park.
We had a backup date of Feb. 7-9, but that would have been further complicated by the complete lack of space in area hotels due to the primary.
We thank you for your patience. Please check our website blackicepondhockey.com for any updates.
CHRIS BROWN
Concord
(The writer serves on the board of directors of the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Association.)