CHICAGO – The Boys and Girls Club in Little Village got an upgrade to their outdoor playground thanks to the Chicago Blackhawks and the National Hockey League.
As part of the NHL Winter Classic Legacy Project, over 100 boys and girls will get to enjoy a renovated multisport court in Little Village.
“Kids will be able to play anytime they want, pick up a stick, grab a ball, grab a puck and come out here and play street hockey,” said Sara Guderyahn, executive director of the Blackhawks Foundation.
On Monday, the Blackhawks unveiled the new rink for the True Value Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, along with a new community mural.
“Over the last couple of years, we launched a program with all boys and girls clubs across the City of Chicago, bring the sport of street hockey and floor ball to every single club,” Guderyahn said.
It’s all part of a lineup of events leading up to the New Year’s Eve Winter Classic at Wrigley Field where the Blackhawks will host their Central Division rivals, the St. Louis Blues.
This marks the second time the Winter Classic makes a stop at Wrigley Field. The first time was in 2009 when the Blackhawks were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings, an Original Six foe, by a score of 6-4.
Ice for the Winter Classic arrived at Wrigley Field earlier on Monday. The truck carrying the ice made the trip to Chicago all the way from Toronto.
Organizers said workers are starting to build the stage and ice for the game.
Back in Little Village, kids got a chance to enjoy the renovations to their play area.
“It’s part of our celebration of growing the game of hockey,” Guderyahn said.
The Blackhawks have a home game scheduled for Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. They are also scheduled to get a first look at the ice at Wrigley Field that day as well.