Ice skating in Fort Smith

It will not matter how warm the temperatures get this holiday season in Fort Smith for those who want to ice skate outdoors on one rink.

The rink at Cisterna Park, N. B and Garrison Avenue is built with synthetic ice. The warmer outside, the better the rink is for skating, said Mike Thames, the board president of the Fort Smith Community Rescue Mission. Ice skating helps raise money for their programs to help people who are homeless, he said.

Last year, when there was a real ice storm, Thames had to shovel ice off of the synthetic ice so skating could resume. The weather for Friday and through the weekend will be warm but could be rainy Sunday.

"All of the profits go toward the Community Rescue Mission," Thames said. "Our skating rink is not really ice, but it is a synthetic plastic. And it works just like ice. So we use regular ice skates. Come on out it is $5 for kids and $10 for adults."

Thames talked about the mission.

"Our mission is to take are of homeless families. We provide, of course, food and shelter. But we also provide services to figure out why they became homeless," Thames said. We try to facilitate their recovery to get a home. We help them find work and make sure their kids are in school. It's a transitional facility instead of just a homeless shelter. We are actually trying to get them out of homelessness and back into society where they can maintain a home."

The hours for ice skating this year will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 18. Then from Dec. 19 to Jan. 1, 2023 the hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 pm. Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays. The rink is closed on Christmas Day.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: The synthetic ice skating rink is open in Fort Smith