Amelia Park Ice Arena teams up with Falcons

Date: 11/16/2010

Nov. 17, 2010

By Katelyn Gendron

Assistant Editor

WESTFIELD -- Amelia Park Ice Arena and the Springfield Falcons teamed up to say thanks to military personnel and their families on Veterans Day.

More than 200 people showed up to watch the team practice at Amelia Park Ice Arena that morning and partake in an autograph session with players and a free skate afterward.

"We're thrilled with the turnout. We hope we can make it an annual event," Carole Appleton, executive director of Amelia Park Ice Arena, said.

Fans also helped to fill a King Ward Bus with items for troops overseas.

"We're huge Falcons fans," Bill Wessig a Marine veteran from West Springfield, said pointing to his three daughters. "They've been going [to games] since they were babies."

His daughters, Alexis, 13, Elizabeth, 11, and Brianna, 9, were all smiles at the event, pausing to let each of the Falcons sign their jerseys or posters with family friend Kaitlyn Haynes, 7, of Springfield.

Scotty Bussell, 10, of Westfield and a member of Westfield Youth Hockey was ecstatic to meet the players and have them sign his poster before gliding around the ice.

"I can't wait to get home and hang the poster above my bed," Bussell said.

"It's definitely important to be here to give back. I love interacting with the kids. Giving back to the community is what it's all about," Center Chad Kolarik said in between signing autographs.

That evening, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Falcons' National Hockey League affiliate, announced that Kolarik had been traded to the New York Rangers for Left Wing Dane Byers.