Holiday Greeting 2009

Happy Thanksgiving from SBI!

Holiday time is here again as are the memories of how the season was celebrated at Berkeley Iceland.  From the Big Ice - Cal v. Stanford hockey match - to the skating shows put on by the skating school - which ended with the audience joining the performers on ice - to the holiday parties held in Berkeley Iceland, thousands of people remember how special this time of year was at Berkeley Iceland.  What made Berkeley Iceland so special in our memories - special enough to expend the time, energy and money to reopen it?

•  Sixty Nine Years as a Community Gathering Place

Sixty nine years ago this month, Berkeley Iceland opened to great fanfare and celebration.  The grand opening was a major event in the East Bay society of the time.  Much like todays environment, the economy was at the tail end of a major downturn and joblessness was at a high point.  The founders of Berkeley Iceland were citizens of Berkeley who saw Iceland as an asset for the community.  Save Berkeley Iceland is trying to repeat what this original group did so successfully.

Through bad times and good, for over 67 years Berkeley Iceland was a healthy gathering place in West Berkeley where the community could gather - a hang out for young and old, skaters of all levels, show place and site of friendly competitions.  A place where new friends were made and old friendships renewed.  Almost anyone who has lived in Berkeley for any time has memories they share from their visits to Berkeley Iceland.  When Iceland closed, our community lost a special place that was uniquely Berkeley.

• Berkeley Iceland held a Special Place in the Community

Berkeley Iceland was a unique part of the fabric of Berkeley and the greater Bay Area.  First and foremost, it was a place to go where you could hang out with friends and family in a safe, healthy environment.  Parents were comfortable leaving their kids to skate and have fun.  Over the years there were thousands of birthday parties, probably hundreds of thousands of dates, and more than a few marriage proposals that took place in Berkeley Iceland.  

It was also a place where athletes on all levels enjoyed both organized and disorganized pursuits. It was the training ground for Olympic competitors like Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi, and the site of three US Figure Skating Championships, including the first West of the Mississippi.  Hockey players of all levels, ages, and sexes competed in everything from the kids in the mites and tots program to the Cal Bears Ice Hockey club, the kids shoot-out games to pickup matches for the more mature hockey players.  Broomballers from UC added their special touch to the competitions (and fun) at Berkeley Iceland.

Hockey programs especially, for young boys and girls, and the figure skating school provided thousands with the opportunity to building lifelong love for  healthy activities in a fun setting.  Competitions and shows let them all show off what they have learned and what makes these activities so enjoyable.  When the audience joined them on the ice afterward, the fun spread further.

Berkeley Iceland offered youth from all around the community the chance to work in a place where they can enjoy learning good work habbits.  Before it closed, the rink employed a variety of folks from the neighborhood as ice monitors, cashiers, skate rental workers, junior coaches, and a variety of other entry level jobs.  The renewal and upgrade of Berkeley Iceland will provide hundreds of jobs for construction and green energy improvements with ongoing opportunities in management, equipment and building maintenance, and even food services.  With planned upgrades in the building, there can be significant opportunities for other activities, such as child care, community organization offices, or art spaces.

• Provided a Space for the Mixing our Diverse Community

Berkeley Iceland was more than a place of just recreation and fun.  Going there people met and learned about others in the community that they wouldn't otherwise encounter.  Berkeley Iceland was one of the anchors of the community which brought people from all over to South Berkeley for healthy fun. Crowds of teenagers went there for generations on Fridays and Saturday nights a real mixing of the community.  Berkeley Iceland was, and will be again, one of the few places to provide our community the opportunity to develop a healthy lifestyle in a unique place across the whole social strata of Berkeley.

• All it takes is Funding

The challenge which Save Berkeley Iceland has taken on is to make this happen.  We have done much in terms of organizing the project and building the base of an organization that can carry out the plans.  What is needed is funding.  Tough economic times make the going slower, but there are individuals and organizations that can provide the lead to a renewed Berkeley Iceland.  We continue to talk with potential donors.  We realize that State and Local governnents are limited, but there are funds and grants that we are exploring.  Our Community Campaign allows us to pay for the resources and people to raise the money.  Volunteers are always welcome to help.  Please go to our website at http://www.saveberkeleyiceland.org to learn more about how you can help.

We are quickly approaching the third anniversary of the closure of Berkeley Iceland.  We are working for the day when that closure will be seen as just a blip in the 70 year history of our special community commons.  Thank you all for the support we have received over the years and for all the support in the future.  

Happy Holidays and Save Berkeley Iceland!