Local hockey team visits Hurlburt youth

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joe McFadden
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Four members of a local hockey team autographed pictures, held a prize raffle and gave lessons about the game to dozens of children and fans at the Hurlburt Field youth center Dec 9.

Chris Rebernik, Jesse Baraniuk, Chad Collins and Matt Withers of the Pensacola Ice Flyers, a Southern Professional Hockey League expansion team, were also here to promote interest in the sport among those in attendance.

"It's not only been great for us to visit with the kids, but to get to see a base, too," Mr. Baraniuk said.

This was the first time this year that members visited a military installation. Before this event, the team had appeared at schools to read to children and teach the basics of the game.

"This was a good chance for us to share our experience with kids," said Mr. Rebernik, who has been playing the sport since he was four-years-old. "Hopefully it will encourage them to pick up a stick and want to play hockey."

After setting up the hockey goals and equipment in the area, the players signed photo cards for children as they were being released from school for the day. Throughout the event, pennants, programs, hats and tickets to an upcoming game were given out in a ticket raffle.

"It's always good for us to give back to the community because they support us," Mr. Rebernik said. "I loved watching the excitement on the kid's faces and how excited they were about learning. Plus it was a chance for the kids to show off a little, too."

Between drawings and autograph signings, the players demonstrated how to execute the perfect wrist-shot and slap-shot into a specially-designed goal with small targets used to score points.

Eight-year-old Matthew Collins was the first child to be summoned to make a goal into a specific target, a shot that one of the players finally made after a few attempts. Using a hockey stick that was taller than he was, he hit the puck hard enough to make it roll on its side directly in to the goal's net.

"Once I was there, I just let my hands do the work and hit the puck," Mr. Collins said, after getting a prize from the team.

When the presentation was over, the team was given a large thank you card signed by all the children in attendance.

"Thank you all and it was pleasure for us to come have fun with you guys," Mr. Rebenik said.

"This was absolutely amazing," Mr. Baraniuk said. "The kids were so excited, and I'm glad they enjoyed it so much. This was the best promotion that we've done."

Macayla Kieschnick, who celebrated her eighth birthday that day, also won a team sticker during the raffle. After the team and audience sang "Happy Birthday" to her, she said she liked the event a lot.

"All in all, it was a fun birthday," she said.