What if you could attend only one local event each year, what would it be?
For me, the answer is easy. I would mark my calendar for early March and spend a Sunday afternoon at The Cube watching dreams come true at the Gliding Stars annual ice show.
Gliding Stars is an ice-skating program that uses adaptive equipment, such as walkers and modified skates, to help differently-abled individuals skate.
And each year the sold-out ice arena makes me fall back in love with my hometown. It highlights the very best of life in Hancock County.
We celebrate the best in everyone.
Through the years, there have been many famous figure skaters – including Olympic gold medalists – who have performed at The Cube, but none have been greeted by more applause than the local stars who take the ice as part of the Gliding Stars annual ice show.
An ice-skating program that uses adaptive equipment, such as walkers and modified skates, to help differently-abled individuals skate, Gliding Stars put on their annual ice show every March!
Cindy Bregel, executive director of Gliding Stars, said, “The foundational values of Gliding Stars are acceptance and understanding and that is evidenced by the amazing community support of the annual ice show.”
We dream big!
Gliding Stars isn’t just about learning to skate; it is about transcending one’s barriers to accomplish a dream. Shane Miller, a first-year volunteer, said, “It is so rewarding watching someone else achieve the impossible. And a joy to be part of that progress.”
Not even Olympic Gold Medalists receive as much applause as the Stars!
We work hard.
It takes six months of work to prepare for the Gliding Stars annual ice show. Van Buren High School student, Megan Muzy, has been a Gliding Stars volunteer for the past five years. She said, “I love how hard the Stars work to become better. When I started with my Star three years ago, he did not want to skate but now he skates all the time. It makes heart happy that he is doing something so well that I love to do.”
We help our neighbors.
There are over 50 Stars in Gliding Stars. Each Star has his/her very own trained volunteer who participates in weekly lessons with the Star. And there are more volunteers who organize the club, market the ice show, design the sets for the show, and much more! Kale Nichols, a high school volunteer from St. John’s Jesuit High School, shared, “It’s a lot of fun! I get to form a real bond with my Star and I look forward to skating together every Sunday.”
Each star has their own volunteer on the ice, pictured here are volunteers Shane Miller and Megan Muzy
We are a family.
Greg Herold, a Findlay resident said, “Gliding Stars is an every-Sunday positive family activity for us. In our family, we have volunteers and a Star too. We get the whole family to come out. It’s a great program for the kids, the Stars and the community. The support the community provides to Gliding Stars is fantastic!”
We believe! “I CAN DO IT! I CAN SKATE!” is a theme that is carried over from weekly training sessions to the day of the public ice show.
Mark your calendars now for early March. Grab a friend and head out to The Cube. I promise that you will cry tears of joy for the Stars and for this amazing community that we call home.