HAND Hosts Children At Ice Skating Benefit

Local children poured into the Bright Hockey Arena on Sunday to watch the annual performance by The Skating Club of Boston, a fundraising event sponsored by The Salvation Army and the Leverett Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) program.

Funds from ticket sales for "Skate Fest '97" benefited Our Place, a day care center for homeless children located in Central Square and run by the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army asked corporations to buy tickets for the event.

"Tickets are then distributed for free to kids in public schools and in shelters," said Leverett Senior Tutor Judith Murciano-Goroff, one of the event coordinators.

Every year, as many as 75 Harvard students help with the event, she said.

"They sell refreshments and talk to people about the HAND program so they not only help support the day care center for homeless kids but raise money for HAND outings," Murciano-Goroff said.

Leverett students raised about $900 for HAND by selling refreshments this Sunday.

"It seemed to go really well," said Russell G. Perkins '97, a Leverett resident who helped out at the event.

"There were a lot of young kids there. They seemed to have a good time," he said.

The performance was followed by a reception in Leverett House for the skaters, their families and the staff of the Salvation Army.

"The reception gives Leverett House residents a chance to come in and learn about opportunities [to volunteer] at the day care center," Murciano-Goroff said.

She estimated that half of the students in Leverett dropped by for the post-performance reception in the house Junior Common Room.

"The ice-skaters clearly get a big kick out of coming down to the house and talking to the students," Murciano-Goroff said.

The volunteer skaters may be as young as six though some are college age, she said.

The annual production was launched several years ago with the help of Leverett graduate Taryn M. Shea '88 whose father William E. Shea is on the Salvation Army's advisory board.

According to Murciano-Goroff, the partnership between Leverett HAND and Our Place allows for direct organization interaction.

"[Our Place is] a nice match with Leverett house for a couple of reasons. It's so close that students can walk down and volunteer so there's a direct service component as well as fundraising," she said

According to Murciano-Goroff, the partnership between Leverett HAND and Our Place allows for direct organization interaction.

"[Our Place is] a nice match with Leverett house for a couple of reasons. It's so close that students can walk down and volunteer so there's a direct service component as well as fundraising," she said