Michigan Tech’s John MacInnes Student Ice Arena invites all Huskies and the community to a free open skate and skate rental at 12:30 p.m. Saturday for the grand opening and dedication of MTU’s new Skate Rental Center honoring Charlotte Jenkins and Cheryl DePuydt. Helmets are also available free of charge as part of the new program.
In January 2021, the Michigan Tech community lost Charlotte Jenkins, an undergraduate student, resident assistant in East McNair, and active member of our community,” said the committee spearheading the project. “Almost immediately after receiving this difficult news, students shared stories of Charlotte’s impact. One oft-repeated anecdote was how Charlotte embraced and involved others, often inviting them to go ice skating. Invariably, she would discover someone didn’t have skates, so she would stop by her room or her car and produce a pair of skates just their size.
“Charlotte loved winter sports and never wanted to leave anyone out of the fun, and since there were no skates available at the rink, she purchased them in a variety of sizes and kept them on hand for others. As news of Charlotte’s passing spread, so did the realization that Charlotte’s skate borrowing program would be sorely missed, and so emerged the idea for creating a skate rental program in the Student Development Complex in her honor.”
The rental program is also very much in keeping with the legacy of Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame inductee Cheryl DePuydt, well-known throughout the community for her long-running and inclusive contributions to Michigan Tech Athletic programs.
Organizations that have come together to make the program a reality include MTU Undergraduate Student Government, the Inter Residence Housing Council, the Wadsworth Hall Student Association, the McNair Housing Association, Residence Education and Housing Services, Physical Education, the Michigan Tech Parents Fund, the Charlotte Jenkins Memorial Fund, and many others.
If you can’t attend in person you can watch the live stream of the dedication ceremony: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/84243721930.
Comments