HARTFORD, Conn. — Story by Kely Maloney, Annabelle Watson, Meredith Keyt and Samuel Mushinski / Manchester High School
When asked about Hartford, Ice Skating may not be the first thing that comes to mind.
However, Winterfest at Bushnell Park has provided skating for 10 years and this winter offered 453 hours of excitement. In addition to being outside, the ice skating rink has one other special quality that seems to keep people coming. It’s free!
Local non-profit, iQuilt, organizes Winterfest and Executive Director, Jackie Mandyck, is a firm believer in the price. Mancyck said, “ The real impact is that people can just come down 5 minutes, or 2 hours and the get to enjoy a free family fun event where they don’t have to pay for skate rentals, they don’t have to pay for skating...and they can just come down and have nice day outdoors in the middle of winter.”
The contributions are provided by a wide variety of sources, from major companies, such as travelers to individual donors, and according to Mandyck, Winterfest would not be possible without donors and contributions from other organizations and businesses.
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