Amelia Chew
The Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink only comes around once a year, and for those of us who dedicate our winter season to bringing holiday cheer to the downtown district, we look forward to what each new season might bring. This year, the ice rink celebrates its 28th anniversary and we are excited to welcome fresh, creative changes to our favorite holiday tradition. And our team of passionate staff members are once again ready and committed to serving our loyal community.
As seasoned staff members, we are trained for anything and everything, which is admittedly no easy task, but seeing the amount of joy and fun it brings to family and friends makes it all worth it. As each season begins, we labor through long, hard weeks as we construct the ice rink. This is the perfect chance for staff members and managers to start bonding as we all work hard together to create that holiday magic. We build the ice rink from the ground up: from hauling fencing to preparing our skate and cashier area to decorating, we do it all! Once the rink is built, in come the rest of the staff. This is where each staff member is trained on safety, customer service, and all things ice. This is an integral part of our season because our staff members are the heart of our operation, so making sure that everyone is ready and prepared helps to guarantee a successful season.
Once November rolls around we finally get a chance to see the finished product of all our hard work. We are now able to witness the countless children, families, and young adults as they enjoy themselves on the ice, making lasting memories. Our favorite part of the opening month are all the special events hosted by our events department. This year we are thrilled to announce a few new events, such as Skate with Republic FC presented by Sacramento Republic FC, DOCO Disco presented by Downtown Commons, and Sports Day presented by Western Health Advantage. These events are a fun time for staff to join customers as they celebrate a creative theme by skating around in fun costumes or participating in an entertaining activity.
Moving forward, December is the month of our holiday hours, which means very busy staff members. Want to know how we get through it all? The secret is . . . having fun! At the ice rink we know it can be hectic, but being able to rely on, and have fun with, your team members will always make the job well worth it. It’s not just the families that get to take home the lasting memories, so do the staff. Every year staff members walk away from the ice rink with enduring relationships that are built during the span of three fun months. The ability to be active and sociable creates an interactive environment between team members, and this year will surely be no different!
Finally, as January begins to appear we start to wind down our season, which is the perfect time to reflect and enjoy the last moments on the ice as a team. Just as we worked hard together to build the rink, we work equally as hard to break it down and store it away until the following year. This is when managers and staff alike are able to come full circle and end the season the same way they began it, with teamwork. Each year it’s hard for us to say goodbye, but the greatest joy we can take from having this job is the amount of happiness the ice rink brings to both ourselves and everyone who visits.
We encourage everyone to come down and celebrate our community’s winter season with us, and create memories that you too can cherish forever. We start our journey November 1st, so come along and skate with us. We can’t wait to see you!
To see a list of all of our special events for the season click here!
Header photo credit: Peter Agerton/@pmagerton