BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Tonight, the rink that local star athletes play on will be the spot for community members to get together for some exercise.
“We are so excited to bring this program to our community,” said Gina Martin, Community Affairs Specialist for Highmark Stadium. “This new event is just a unique opportunity for us to bring the community together here at the Keybank to get fit and have fun where their home team plays.”
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield started “Fitness on the Field” four years ago, bringing the community together on the field of Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. This year, they’re adding “Fitness on the Rink” for the first time.
The event will feature several workout classes, including yoga, a boot camp combo, and cycling.
“This is exciting, it’s a new place to work out. Working out can get so mundane and boring,” said Ren Gibson, owner of Rise Fitness Studio and previous instructor in the “Fitness on the Field” events. “We absolutely love the energy that comes with working out on the Bills field because it’s the Bills, Josh Allen, we get all the excitement but we’ve never been here before and just coming off of that Bandits winning energy–we’re here for it.”
The free classes go from 4pm through 7pm Thursday night, but you have to pre-register. You can do so by clicking this link here.
During the event, they are collecting donations, which Highmark will match, for Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports.
“It just shows how Buffalo kind of supports everything that we do here in the community,” said Executive Director, Adam Page of Greater Adaptive Sports. “The biggest thing is that we’re athletes when we’re out there, no different than anybody else playing a sport, it might just look a little bit differently. We just love being out there.”
Page tells us he grew up loving the Sabres, and was born with Spina Bifida, where he has no feeling from the knees down. He discovered sled hockey at six years old, and is now a three times Paralympic Gold Medalist.
“Being a part of adaptive sports and being part of sled hockey for so long, it made us realize we wanted to give back to the community,” said Page.
They originally started “The Sled Hockey Foundation” and now it’s grown to “Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports” which offers sled hockey, adaptively curling, wheelchair lacrosse, wheelchair football, stand up adaptive lacrosse for youth and adult with cognitive disabilities, wheelchair basketball and hand cycles.
“For the Ride for Roswell, we’re looking to have between 10 and 15 of those hand cycles and the event tonight is a big part of that, being able to purchase those 10-15. We have seven right now,” said Page. “We’re just really excited to be apart of Ride for Roswell, it’s actually going to be the first hand cycle division they’re going to have.”
For more information on Greater Adaptive Sports and how to donate, visit their website here.