Evergreen Lake Skating Opens Friday, Dec. 29

The Ice Rink on Evergreen Lake opens Friday, Dec. 29! Opening day hours are 8 AM-8 PM.  It's school break, so bring the kids to the lake to enjoy these winter days on the ice.

The ice is 12 inches thick, so Evergreen Park & Recreation District's (EPRD) ice maestros can flood the rink with water to get a smooth frozen surface. They can't start using the Zamboni until the ice depth reaches 16 inches, so expect a few bumps.

An Incredible Rink

Skating on Evergreen Lake is an unforgettable experience. EPRD operates the world's largest Zamboni-groomed outdoor ice rink, a stunning 8.5-acre stretch of ice with 11 pond hockey rinks and a huge public skating rink,  just a half hour from downtown Denver. This magnificent field of ice is spectacularly situated amid ponderosa pine-covered mountains and Evergreen Golf Course, and a short walk to downtown Evergreen on the Evergreen Lake Trail. 

Admission and skate rental prices are reasonable, and participants can escape the wintery weather inside breathtaking Evergreen Lake House, enjoying hot chocolate and snacks from the concession area near the giant stone fireplace. Apparel from Evergreen Clothing Company and hockey equipment are also available for purchase. Ice sharpening is available for $8.

CNN declares that Evergreen Lake is one of the 10 beautiful ice rinks in the world and Sunset Magazine rates Evergreen Lake as one of the top 10 ice skating rinks!

Evergreen Lake Winter Events

• On the morning of Sat., Dec. 31, 2017, DriveSmart Evergreen hosts a Youth Pond Hockey Tournament on the ice rink. 
• Starting at 6 PM New Year's Eve, it throws the party of the year with Skate the Lake, its annual New Year's Eve celebration, with live music, warming fires and fireworks. 
• On Monday, Jan. 1, Drive Smart and Evergreen Park and Rec District's annual Evergreen Lake Plunge will attract scores of people to the lake to take an exhilarating plunge into the frigid waters to raise funds for DRIVE SMART and EPRD’s Special Populations Programs.
• On Sat. and Sun., Jan. 6 and 7, EPRD hosts the annual Evergreen Pond Hockey Championship, attracting teams from across the United States and beyond seeking to win a $1,500 cash prize.  

Evergreen Lake Info

For information about hours the rink is open, admission fees and ice skate rental rates, please visit the Evergreen Park & Recreation District website. 

Evergreen Lake House is located at 29612 Upper Bear Creek Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439.

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Hall of Famer Luke Williams: We Are So Proud!

Congrats to Luke Williams, who has been named Male Athlete of the Year for the state of Colorado and was recently inducted into the Special Olympics Colorado (SOCO) Hall of Fame. Luke participates in basketball, bowling, skiing and track. 

This is the 3rd time EPRD has been inducted into the SOCO Hall of Fame - previously, EPRD was honored for Best Program and the late Katie Matthewman was named Female Athlete of the Year.

Watch the video here.

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How Disabled People Can Stay Active

By Guest Blogger Travis White

Playing sports and staying active is natural to people. More than that, it’s basically a necessity. There are the obvious physical benefits to staying active such as getting fit, building muscles, and avoiding obesity. But there are mental benefits as well. Learning teamwork and how to rebound after a loss are vital life skills.

But many people with disabilities think that opportunity is closed to them. They think that, because they are differently abled, they cannot participate in sports and similar activities. Thankfully, that is simply not the case. Sure, being disabled means you may not be able to do exactly what other people do. But with some accommodations and a little help, you can stay active even if you have a disability. 

Image Source: Pixabay

The Benefits Of Activities

Some people look at activities like sports and just think they’re an amusing way to spend the time. That’s true, but staying active has many more benefits than just avoiding boredom.

In terms of physical health, people who are active tend to have better hearts, blood pressure, and muscles. They also have lower rates of obesity, better flexibility, and coordination, all of which can be helpful depending on your specific disability. But there are a lot of social and mental health benefits as well.

Participating in activities with others can help someone make more friends, build a sense of accomplishment, and improve depression. That’s especially true for people with disabilities, as they can sometimes feel excluded from society as a whole. Even the physical benefits of exercising and staying active can help with your mental health, as people tend to have more self-esteem when they are physically fit.

Bridging The Gap

How can someone with a disability participate in these activities? While it depends somewhat on the activities in question, there are a few accommodations to make.

Part of the problem is one of perception. People with disabilities can sometimes think their condition prevents them from enjoying activities. That’s because there are often too few adaptive programs designed for them. If you’re not aware of how to participate, it’s easy to think you cannot and it can be hard to bridge the gap between thought and action. 

A great way to help with this is goal setting. This means setting challenging but realistic goals for yourself. For example, making a slam dunk might not be feasible given your disability, but is that really the most important thing about basketball? Take time to think about what really matters, such as making friends, getting exercise, and exposing more people to those with disabilities. Then make goals to reach those.

What About Service Dogs?

Some people with disabilities have service animals, with service dogs being the most common by far. Can people using these friends stay active? It might not always work, but the answer is normally yes.

First, sports facilities cannot ban service animals. As long as yours really is a service animal and not just a pet, you can bring your dog to basketball courts, field houses, and more. But if your service dog helps you get around and stay grounded, then there’s little reason why that cannot happen while staying active as well.

Get Out There Today

There are unique challenges to staying active faced by people with disabilities. That said, getting out there and enjoying the benefits of physical activity is not just possible — it can do some very good things for you.

Travis White writes about food in his spare time. He enjoys showing LearnFit visitors how to cook restaurant-quality meals at home.

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