Ice rink wraps up most successful season ever

Despite the weather roller coaster this season, a record 8,700 people came out to skate at the UNMC Ice Rink since it opened on Nov. 27.

"We had an amazing season,” said Rick Boldt, senior manager of special projects for the chancellor’s office. “It was so exciting to have such great participation from the campus community as well as the public to make this year an overwhelming success.”

Mick Ridgway, the ice rink manager, prepped the ice rink to open in November.

The UNMC ice rink first opened in 2009, made possible by a gift from Omaha philanthropists Ruth and Bill Scott as part of UNMC's student plaza near the Sorrell Student Center. The area, now called Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza, was created with hopes of providing a new gathering space on campus.

In 2019, the plaza underwent improvements to help turn it into a more comfortable, user-friendly area.

When the COVID-19 pandemic entered its first winter, the ice rink closed for the season as a precaution. The new outdoor event building was completed in fall 2021 in time for the ice rink's reopening this season.

At a time when UNMC has continued caution with indoor gatherings, the ice rink was the centerpiece for this year’s new Student Senate Green Space Series during the winter months.

Haydar Hasan asks Kaitlyn Stava to marry him. (Photo courtesy Allison Klein)

With the goal of the series being to build community and support students’ mental health during a stressful time, the ice rink was key in their efforts for student engagement.

In addition to offering open skating time for the general public, the ice rink renewed the popular Holiday Skate Day for the UNMC community, hosted intramural curling and broomball leagues and became the impromptu spot where the Nebraska Medical Choir performed carols after severe weather cancelled its holiday concert. The ice rink even held one marriage proposal this season.

For a look at the season in pictures, see this Flickr album online.