Event: Spring Party on Ice
Date: April 20, 2024
Location: Shark’s Ice at San Jose
Population Served: Foster youth ages 3+
Event Highlights:
On Saturday, April 20th, foster youth and their Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteers had a spring party at the Sharks Ice in San Jose. While the sun was out and the weather hot, our youth were able to cool down and enjoy the ice rink with youth from the Santa Clara Valley Blackhawks Hockey Association and special guest SJ SHARKIE.
Attendees started their afternoon by energizing with sliders, pizza, salads and vegetables. Once they had finished their lunch, it was time to get active! Foster youth and their CASAs gathered around the ice rink and switched out their shoes for ice skates. Before jumping on the ice, each foster youth was paired with a youth from the Santa Clara Valley Blackhawks Hockey Association who taught them the basics on how to ice skate. Foster youth were given guidance and stacked buckets they could use as they found their balance on the ice. As the session progressed, you could already see some of the youth gaining confidence in their ice skating abilities, putting aside the buckets for balance and going across the ice on their own!
While all attendees were laughing and smiling, it was about to get better! Our special guest, Sharkie, made a grand appearance, greeting all of our foster youth and even ice-skating alongside them.
“They (foster youth) felt very accomplished learning something new. Some were very fearful of falling and failing. It was amazing to watch them overcome their fears and gain confidence in new skills. The Blackhawk team players and parents were very supportive and understanding. Great event and look forward to doing it again!” – CASA Volunteer
The 7th Annual Spring Party on Ice was possible thanks to the generosity of the Santa Clara Valley Blackhawks Hockey Association and Sharks Ice at San Jose, who provided our youth with skating lessons, lunch, rental skates, jerseys, volunteers and more. We would also like to thank our CASA Mentor Jessica Lee, who coordinated the event. It’s through events like this one, that we can provide foster youth with positive experiences to bond with their CASA Volunteers, other foster youth and their siblings.
If you have any questions or are interested in sponsoring a youth-related event, please contact our development department at development@childadvocatessv.org.
