By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – Pepsi Ice Center in Bloomington can use your vote in a national contest.
The hub for local hockey and recreational ice events is one of the 10 national finalists in this year’s Kraft Hockeyville contest. The grand prize winner with the most votes receives $150,000 in arena upgrades and a chance to host a National Hockey League preseason game.
Pepsi Ice Center director Michael Hernbrott said the facility is constantly being used from 5:30 a.m. until late at night.
“We don’t close most nights until after midnight,” Herbrott told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn. “We have children as young as three years old coming to our learn-to-skate programs, and we have adult players in their 70s that are still playing hockey.”
PODCAST: Listen here to the interview with WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn.
Christina Kirk wrote the nomination letter for Pepsi Ice Center to enter the Kraft Hockeyville contest, outlining how the facility was instrumental in introducing sled hockey to players with physical disabilities, including her daughter Violet.
“We had hockey friends (who) gave us money to help contribute towards buying Violet’s sled,” Kirk said. “And then my husband was inspired by that, and he really wanted to find more kids for Violet to play with on her sled. The Pepsi Ice Center got a grant for five sleds, and now we have the Central Illinois Sled Hockey team.”
Hernbrott says if the Pepsi Ice Center wins, the prize money will go toward making benches and locker rooms accessible for sled hockey.
Winners are determined through online voting at krafthockeyville.com. The first round of voting ends at midnight tonight.
Greg Halbleib can be reached at greg@wjbc.com.
