THIS WEEKEND'S GREAT SKATE WINTERFEST RESCHEDULED FOR FEB. 18-19

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday announced that this weekend’s 15th annual Great Skate Winterfest has been rescheduled to Saturday, Feb. 18 and Sunday, Feb. 19 due to anticipated weather conditions.

With temperatures universally forecast to reach 50 degrees or more this Saturday and Sunday, the outdoor ice rink at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids is expected to be rendered unusable for most, if not all, of the event’s planned 34-hour duration, forcing the postponement.

As part of the rescheduling, the event will revert to its original 24-hour format just for this year. The Great Skate will commence at 10 p.m. on Feb. 18, immediately following the conclusion of the Griffins’ 7 p.m. game versus the San Antonio Rampage at Van Andel Arena, and run continuously through 10 p.m. on Feb. 19, with every Griffins player and coach skating with fans for one hour each around the clock.

The lineup of Griffins skaters can be found at griffinshockey.com/greatskate, and fans can sponsor their favorite player’s participation by making a donation to the Griffins Youth Foundation. A schedule of other Great Skate attractions, including ice-sculpting and horse-drawn carriage rides, will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Great Skate Winterfest is presented by Meijer, the Griffins and the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation. Other sponsors include Big O’ Café, Centennial Securities, Connoisseur Design + Marketing, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., Executive Coach Service, FASTSigns, Gilmore and Michigan First Credit Union, with additional support from Pepsi and Tim Hortons.

Established in 1995, the Griffins Youth Foundation promotes academic excellence, community involvement and healthy lifestyles among the youth of West Michigan, enhancing their lives through hockey and ice-related sports. The foundation provides opportunities for more than 350 deserving kids – many of whom are underprivileged, underserved, at-risk or have other special needs – to participate in the great sport of hockey at no cost. Programs currently include hockey for first through 12th graders and a girls-only division, as well as the Grand Rapids Sled Wings sled hockey team for children and teens with physical disabilities.

For more information about the foundation, visit griffinskids.org.