WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and the Washington Capitals are designating a previously raised $435,275.55 donation as well as an additional $64,725 for a total of $500,000 to Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena in support of its Kids On Ice® Program. The grant will be distributed over a five-year period, with Fort Dupont Ice Arena receiving $100,000 per year.
In honor of the grant, five Kids On Ice® participants will be present on the Capitals Red Carpet during player arrivals and will walk the Capitals red carpet themselves ahead of the team’s home opener on Oct. 13 at Capital One Arena at approximately 5:30 p.m. During the game, the funds will be presented to Kids On Ice® through a check presentation. In addition, the Capitals will host a Kids on Ice® skate for 60 beginning skaters at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., on Oct. 14.
The original intent of the donation was for rink renovations; however with the District now fully funding the construction of a new arena with an anticipated completion date of spring 2025, the funds will now be used to support the Kids On Ice® program.
“The Capitals and MSE Foundation recognize the importance of the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena Kids On Ice® program and the opportunities it presents to children to learn to skate and learn to play hockey,” said MSE Foundation president and executive director Elizabeth Pace. “With a strong assortment of primarily free classes, Kids On Ice® provides not only the opportunity for children to participate in sports, but also to develop confidence and character skills. We look forward to seeing new skaters take to the ice soon as a result of the funding.”
The funds were raised through the generosity of MSE founder and chairman Ted Leonsis, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, the National Hockey League, the NHL Foundation and hundreds of Capitals fans through a Go Fund Me set up in 2019. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Leonsis and the Leonsis family led the effort by making an initial contribution. The NHL and the Leonsis family each donated $100,000 for a total of $200,000, while MSE and MSE Foundation donated $164,725. Capitals fans contributed the remaining $135,275.
“Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena is truly grateful for this incredible support from Ted Leonsis, the Washington Capitals and MSE Foundation,” said Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena chairman Murry Gunty. “Kids On Ice® is the foundational skating program at Fort Dupont Ice Arena and has supported over thousands of children from Wards 7 and 8 on the ice for free each year for over 20 years. This leadership gift solidifies this program, ensuring that the arena will continue to serve as a resource for children to both engage with sports and develop a sense of accomplishment both on and off the ice for years to come.”
Kids On Ice® provides children with a variety of classes including Learn to Skate USA, hockey, figure skating, synchronized skating and speed skating, regardless of their ability to pay. Approximately 2,500 D.C. public and charter school children participate in Kids On Ice® annually, and there have been hundreds of minority hockey players introduced to the sport through Kids On Ice®.
Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena is the nonprofit organization formed to revitalize and manage the Fort Dupont Ice Arena in southeast, Washington, D.C. Its mission is to provide increased opportunity, education and inspiration to the young people of Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area, through ice skating, youth hockey and educational activities. Fort Dupont Ice Arena, currently under reconstruction, is the only public indoor ice arena located in Washington, D.C., and the only skating facility in the area that provides free or subsidized skating programs to children. Kids On Ice® programming will continue at Canal Park Ice Rink this season. Participant registration forms will soon be available at fdia.org.
In addition, the Capitals are also working with the Fort Dupont Cannons, who operate separately from Fort Dupont Ice Arena, on programming to support the Cannons while the new rink is under construction.
MSE Foundation is committed to making the region a better place for all by supporting game-changing solutions for our community. We fundraise, provide grants to nonprofits and rally MSE’s teams and fans to support and amplify the impact of community change agents. Together, we’re raising the game in the DMV. Learn more at MonumentalFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
