Ottawa Senators' I Love to Skate program wraps up Sunday

Instructor Jordan Draper instructs young skater Ilkyaz Otan at Sunday's 'I Love to Skate' program. (Jackie Perez/CTV News Ottawa)

The 12th season of giving children the opportunity to learn how to skate wrapped up in a year-end event at the Canadian Tire Centre Sunday, announced the Ottawa Senators.

More than 200 participants had the opportunity to learn skating this year through the I Love to Skate program. They skated on the same ice surface as the Ottawa Senators. Participants and their families were also joined by representatives from the Senators Community Foundation, the City of Ottawa and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart), said the Senators in a news release Saturday.

Mayor of Ottawa Mark Sutcliffe, president of Senators Community Foundation Jacqueline Belsito, chair of Jumpstart Nadir Patel, Jumpstart relationship manager and three-time Olympic gold-medallist Kim St-Pierre, and the Senators ambassador of fun Spartacat attended the event.

The event included a photo opportunity, where Senators and Canadian Tire dignitaries addressed the first group in the arena bowl at 2:00 p.m. To show off their skills, the group hit the ice and gathered for a large group photo.

The program provides youths in financially disadvantaged neighbourhoods across the city with the opportunity to learn skating. It has provided more than 5,000 children in Ottawa with equipment and skating lessons since 2010.

It has provided an opportunity for youths from “15 priority neighbourhoods” identified by the city to receive free recreational skating lessons from qualified instructors at outdoor rinks across the city. Participating children were provided with a voucher for a helmet and pair of skates for redemption at participating local Canadian Tire retail locations.

“The Senators Community Foundation provides funding for both instruction, transportation and the program wrap-up experience of skating at Canadian Tire Centre,” reads the release.

The event took place at 1:30 p.m. at the Canadian Tire Centre.

More information is available online.

The Senators’ I Love To Skate program is a partnership with the Senators Community Foundation, Jumpstart and the City of Ottawa.