The Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena, Inc. is home to Kids On Ice^®, community skating program serving over 10,000 neighborhood boys and girls annually. Kids On Ice includes classes in learn to skate, advanced figure skating, ice hockey and, speed skating. Additionally, the Schools Skate for Fitness program component provides free skating lessons to DC Public School classes as part of the approved physical education classes. Serving students ranging in age from 5 to 18 years old, the Kids On Ice program includes the necessary equipment for each sport. Instructors include qualified volunteers under the direction of professional figure skating, ice hockey and speed skating directors. Many area skaters — including local high school ice hockey players — serve as volunteer assistant instructors. During the summer months, the Camps Skate for Fitness program component provides skating lessons to neighborhood camp groups.

If you would like to learn more about this organization please go to their web site at www.fdia.org.

Community Services

The Capital Chapter takes seriously its responsibility to give back and support the community in which we work. The Community Services Committee sponsors the following annual events in an effort to participate in the social growth of our community.

Chapter Foundation, Toni K. Allen Scholarship Program

The Foundation, Toni K. Allen Scholarship Program is designed to benefit local high school students to further their educational opportunities. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of two or four year commitments. The focus on higher education for these students is in business or law firm management. Each year a scholarship recipient is selected from local high school candidates on the basis of grade averages, a written essay and recommendations of high school faculty. Candidates are interviewed and the scholarship recipient chosen and honored at a Chapter luncheon. The student is followed throughout their college career, and funds are distributed at the end of each school year, assuming the student maintains the requisite grade point average.

Salvation Army Angel Tree Program

Each year the Chapter works with the Salvation Army in their Angel Tree Program. During the holiday season, individuals and local law firms "adopt" angels (children) and provide them with gifts that they might otherwise not receive during this special season. Over the past several years, the number of angels that have been adopted by the ALA has increased and in 2005 numbered over 1200. This is a very exciting project and seeing the faces on the families when they receive their packages is overwhelming. Members of the Chapter volunteer to work with the Salvation Army to distribute the packages to the children.