Hockey Fundraiser for Injured Police Officer
The Arlington County Police Department is helping to spread the word about a hockey fundraiser on Sunday to help an injured Fairfax County Police officer.
Officer Long Dinh was critically injured in a February chase that ended with the suspect crashing head-on into his police cruiser at a high speed. The suspect died and Dinh was just released today from his nearly two month hospital stay.
Dinh has undergone multiple surgeries to repair his two broken legs, and continues physical therapy for the injuries. He is also dealing with short term memory issues stemming from the head trauma he sustained during the incident.
To help offset the costs of Dinh’s treatment and ongoing hospital stay, members of the Fairfax County Police Department are challenging members of the Metropolitan Police Department to a fundraiser hockey game. It will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston (627 N. Glebe Road). The public is welcome to attend and donations will be collected at the event.
Anyone who cannot attend Sunday’s event but wishes to contribute to Officer Dinh’s rehabilitation fund can do so online.
Photos: Ovechkin’s ‘Virtual Statue’ Shoot
Attendees at the upcoming Taste of Arlington festival will be able to get cozy with Ovie.
Capitals star Alex Ovechkin posed in front of a green screen at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston yesterday for a “virtual statue” video shoot. The video will be be used to allow smart phone users to take a photo with a virtual Ovechkin at Taste of Arlington, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 19.
As reported earlier this month, Ovechkin is one of three “virtual statues” that will be set up around the festival. The other two are Washington Wizards point guard John Wall or D.C. United midfielder Chris Pontius.
Users will be able to walk up to a posted “Augmented Reality” (AR) marker at Taste of Arlington, scan a code with their phone, and see a brief video of a sports star. From a press release:
The AR marker is similar to a QR or “quick response” code. By targeting an AR marker with the camera on their phone or tablet, users will view a short video and have the opportunity to pose for a photo with the celebrity. After capturing their virtual photo op with the celebrity, guests may share the images to Facebook or Twitter, and are eligible to enter a contest sponsored by the Ballston BID to win a sports prize package including sporting event tickets and signed memorabilia.
The digital statue custom displays will be located throughout Taste of Arlington. Each display will have a backdrop, a statue base, and an event assistant to help facilitate the process or provide a tablet for those without a compatible mobile device.
The mobile app required to view the virtual statues will be available via the Google Play Market for Android and the Apple App Store, according to the Ballston Business Improvement District. Taste of Arlington will be held in Ballston on May 19th from noon to 5 p.m.
Disclosure: Ballston BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser
‘Hockey is for Everyone’ Events in February
Hockey is back in full swing and the Washington Capitals are celebrating with activities during the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everyone” Month.
The Hockey is for Everyone (HIFE) campaign is the official youth development program of the National Hockey League. It celebrates grassroots hockey and the growing diversity of the game. Many activities throughout the month are aimed at giving kids of all backgrounds opportunities to play the sport. The programs highlight essential life skills and the core values of hockey such as commitment, perseverance and teamwork. The initiative also supports hockey programs that assist disabled military personnel in returning to active lifestyles.
There are numerous events throughout the D.C. area for HIFE Month. The following events will take place in Arlington:
- February 8 — The Capitals will team up with children’s charity Dreams for Kids to host an Extreme Recess Hockey Clinic at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner, forward Jason Chimera and goaltender Braden Holtby will skate and play hockey with more than 100 children with physical and developmental disabilities.
- February 14 — The Capitals have partnered with the Junior Women’s Hockey League (JWHL) to provide an all-girls hockey clinic for players ages 6-14. It will be held from 6:20-7:20 p.m. at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Participants must bring their own gear and pre-register online.
- February 14-18 — The Capitals and Washington Pride will host the annual JWHL Challenge Cup at Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 N. Glebe Road). Various teams from across the country will play in the tournament. Game schedules for the preliminary rounds can be found online.
A full schedule of all the HIFE Month events occurring throughout the D.C. area is available online.
In addition to the HIFE events, hockey fans in Arlington can catch a free high school hockey game at Kettler Capitals Iceplex this week. The Yorktown Ice Hockey Club will face off against Madison at 6:40 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8.
Morning Notes
No More Checks for State Tax Refunds — Starting this year, Virginia is no longer sending checks for state tax refunds. Instead, the Commonwealth will only issue refunds by direct deposit or by prepaid debit card. The debit cards are issued by a vendor at no cost to the state; the change is expected to save taxpayers about $200,000 in printing and mailing costs. [Virginia Dept. of Taxation]
Jobs, Wages Decline in Arlington — While wages in Arlington remain high, average wages and the number of jobs in Arlington both declined in the second quarter of 2012, according to new federal data. The decline is worrying some local real estate developers. [Sun Gazette]
Ovechkin Collides With Teammate at Kettler — At a practice yesterday morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, Capitals star winger Alex Ovechkin and center Marcus Johansson collided at mid-ice. The collision sent both players to the ground, but they’re both said to be “okay.” [CSN Washington, Washington Post]
Flickr pool photo by Ddimick
Leonsis: Ballston Could Be a Haven for the ‘Creative Class’
Ted Leonsis, the billionaire owner of the Washington Capitals and Wizards, says Ballston could soon be known as a haven for entrepreneurs and the “creative class.”
Leonsis made the remarks at a launch event Thursday night for the new Ballston Business Improvement District, which has announced a new campaign to brand Ballston as “home to some of the world’s brightest minds and most innovative industries.” The campaign will capitalize on the fact that the community is home to the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, the National Science Foundation, the Virginia Tech Research Center, and various science and technology-related companies.
Leonsis, whose Capitals practice at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, said he’s encouraged to see the BID unifying Ballston’s public agencies, private companies and academia around the theme of innovation.
“The community is really coming together to try to stimulate everything about the creative class,” he said.
As part of the BID’s campaign, Leonsis, a former AOL executive, is helping to conduct and underwrite a business competition for entrepreneurs called the Ballston LaunchPad Challenge. He said the winning business idea may receive funding from the $450 million investment fund he set up with AOL co-founder Steve Case.
“We’re here to help and mentor and to help find the next great companies that will start their businesses here and will create employment for residents in Northern Virginia,” Leonsis said.
“Right now there’s this mythology that the only great companies that can get started happen out in Silicon Valley, and that’s not what we adhere to or we believe,” he continued. “We think that there’s a creative class, that there’s unbelievable gifts, talent and infrastructure in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. and Maryland — and we want to help stimulate that. We think that there are great young entrepreneurs walking among us.”
Leonsis said the contest, which is just one component of the BID’s overall branding and business improvement effort, will pay dividends in terms of stimulating economic activity in the area.
“This is a small part of this overall branding and outreach program, but I think it can be a very important part, because jobs are still the number one issue facing our country,” he said. “There’s no more noble, higher calling for an individual to create a company, see your vision come to life, and to employ people. Families get supported, kids get to go to good schools in the community, you start to shop in the mall, you start to eat in the restaurants, and the money stays within the community.”
“This is very strategic not just for Ballston, but for our country,” Leonsis added. ”If we are to make an investment… we want a commitment that you’ll stay in this community that’s treating you and supporting you so well.”
Leonsis said that small business in particular can help ”get young people get back to work” and out of their parents’ homes.
“We should never lose sight of the importance of small business,” he said. “Big companies right now retain earnings and shed jobs. Small businesses are creating all of the new opportunities and all of the innovation that’s keeping us competitive against global competition.”
Leonsis started and ended by addressing a topic that was on the minds of many — one concerning the return of dozens of wealthy individuals to the Ballston area.
“Thank you, and let’s go Caps,” he said, concluding his remarks.
Disclosure: The Ballston Business Improvement District is an ARLnow.com advertiser.
Capitals Still Locked Out, but Kettler Hosts Yorktown Hockey
The Capitals’ season may be in shambles due to the ongoing NHL lockout, but all is not lost for fans wishing to take in some hockey. The Yorktown High School hockey team is playing a home game at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 N. Glebe Road) in Ballston on Friday.
The Yorktown Ice Hockey Club has been in existence since 2003. The team has not been granted sports team status at the school, but is instead considered an “interest club.” It’s part of the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League, which is the premier high school level league in Northern Virginia, and was bumped up from junior varsity to varsity this year.
One of the coaches boasted to ARLnow.com about having the league’s leading goal scorer on his team. Cameron Smith has scored 17 goals in three games, including a record-setting 11 in one game. So far this year, the team is 2-2.
Friday’s game against Broad Run High School begins at 6:40 p.m. at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in the Ballston Mall. It’s free to attend.
After this Friday, there will be two more Yorktown home games at Kettler. The team will play Osbourne Park at 6:40 p.m. on Friday, January 4, and Madison on Friday, February 8.
Photos: Family Holiday Party at Kettler
The Washington Wizards, Mystics and Capitals hosted a holiday party for underprivileged D.C. area families at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston over the weekend.
The holiday party, held from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Sunday, is a tradition for team owner Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
“This year 21 families were adopted through Family-to-Family, an initiative created by the Wizards 16 years ago that provides holiday cheer to underserved, deserving families in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area,” Monumental said in a press release.
At the party, families were able to skate on the Capitals ice, play games, and meet Santa Claus, Wizards mascot G-Wiz, Wizard Girls, Capitals mascot Slapshot and the Red Rockers. The parents were also given gifts, to be opened in celebration of the holidays later this month. The presents were purchased during a $25,000 holiday shopping spree by Wizards and Capitals wives and girlfriends, funded by Monumental.
Photos courtesy Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Ice Skating Stars Coming to Arlington
The 8th annual “Ice Champions LIVE!” ice skating show and fundraiser will be coming to Arlington next month.
The event is taking place on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 4:00 p.m. at Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 N. Glebe Road) in Ballston. Among those scheduled to perform are recognizable national skating champions like Brian Boitano, Ashley Wagner, Ryan Bradley, Kimmie Meissner, Mirai Nagasu, Michael Weiss, Steven Cousins, and Richard Dornbush.
The ice show (and a silent auction of skaters’ personal memorabilia at the event) benefits Weiss’ nonprofit, the Michael Weiss Foundation, which provides financial support for skaters with Olympic potential who need help paying for things like coaching, choreography, costumes, music editing and tutoring. The foundation is currently sponsoring 22 potential future skating stars.
“Knowing firsthand the financial burden required for an athlete to get to the Olympics, Weiss established the Foundation to give back to the sport that has given him so much by providing deserving children with scholarships so they can become future Olympians and carry out the legacies of their heroes who preceded them,” according ot a press release. Weiss is a resident of McLean.
Tickets for the show start at $30 and are available online. Seats are also available on the ice itself for $50.
Charity Hockey Classic Returns to Kettler Iceplex
What do cops, consultants, hockey coaches, radio personalities and current and former Washington Capitals players have in common? They’re all expected to help raise money and awareness for blood donation at Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 North Glebe Road) next month.
Under the slogan of “Give Blood, Play Hockey,” Inova Blood Donor Services is holding its fourth annual Charity Hockey Classic fundraiser at the ice rink in Ballston on Sept. 9. Tickets for the event are available online.
More information about the fundraiser, from a press release:
Inova Blood Donor Services is asking the local community to “give blood, play hockey” as they host their fourth annual fundraising event, the Charity Hockey Classic, which will — for the first time — feature members of the Washington Capitals Alumni facing off against three local teams, including two-time defending champion Virginia Coaching Cardinals on Sunday, September 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex.
Admission to see the Capitals Alumni compete in this round-robin tournament against the Booz Allen Minutemen, Northern Virginia Law Enforcers and Coaching Cardinals is $10 per person and FREE for kids. All fans are encouraged to wear their hockey jerseys.
“The fourth Charity Hockey Classic promises to be another spirited day of competition and charitable giving by the local hockey community,” said Charity Hockey Classic Chairman Adam Bartholomew. “We are thrilled and grateful to welcome the Washington Capitals Alumni program for the first time and appreciate the support of our two returning squads along with the Northern Virginia Law Enforcers for their support of our mission to provide a safe and adequate blood supply to the entire DC metro area.”
The Capitals alumni team, which will also include some front office staffers, is in the process of assembling with a final team roster anticipated later this month. Current Washington Capitals teammates Matt Hendricks and Jeff Schultz have offered their support in the past serving as honorary captains.
The Cardinals, a ‘flock’ of youth hockey coaches from across Northern Virginia, blanked the Booz Allen Minutemen (Booz Allen Hamilton’s corporate hockey team) in last year’s contest by a score of 5-0, and look to defend their title, securing a three-peat in 2012. The Cardinals roster consists of coaches from local youth hockey programs including the Ashburn Xtreme, Reston Raiders, NoVA Ice Dogs, and Washington Little Caps. The Booz Allen Minutemen features employees from across the region while local officers and patrolmen will comprise the hard-charging Northern Virginia Law Enforcers. Each squad will face one another in a 15-minute mini-game.
The beneficiary of the Charity Hockey Classic is Inova Blood Donor Services, a service line to the not-for-profit Inova Health System that collects, tests and provides blood and blood products each day to 15 hospitals and medical centers throughout the Washington, D.C. metro area. In 2011, the event raised over $65,000 – up from $40,000 in 2010 (an increase of over 60%) and pushing the three-year total to just over $146,000 The goal for 2012 has been set to raise $90,000, which is needed to refurbish one of Inova’s older bloodmobiles.
Kettler Capitals Iceplex (home of the Washington Capitals) will host the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its location atop Ballston Common Mall. Other attractions and game entertainment include a silent auction, local celebrity appearances by radio personalities, Mike O’Meara, Oscar Santana, Buzz Burbank and Robb Spewak from The Mike O’Meara Show, Capital’s mascot Slapshot and spirit team, the Red Rockers. And be sure to catch the intermission games with mini-mites youth hockey and the popular chuck-a-duck promotion.
Inova Blood Donor Services, a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Sterling, VA, also maintains its strong ties to the hockey community as the Official Blood Collection Agency of the Washington Capitals in addition to partnerships with the Washington Nationals and George Mason University.
Skaters to Perform in Ice Show at Kettler Iceplex
If you want to chill out, the Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 North Glebe Road) in Ballston may have what you need at its Second Annual Ice Show.
This year, the show will feature the “History of Rock ‘n Roll.” Skaters of various ages and abilities will perform to rock songs by artists ranging from Elvis to U2.
The show will take place tonight at 6:30 p.m., and tomorrow, June 16, at 2:30 p.m. Attendees are reminded that the ice rink will be chilly, so it might be a good idea to bring a sweater.
Tickets can be purchased in person for $5. More information, including a video of last year’s show finale, is available online.
Morning Notes
Obama to Appear in Arlington on Friday — President Obama will deliver a speech about the economy at Arlington’s Fire Station 5 on Friday. The fire station is located on S. Hayes Street in Aurora Highlands, a couple of blocks from Pentagon City mall. [Washington Post]
Three Candidates Running for School Board — There are now three Democratic candidates running for two open Arlington County School Board seats: Emma Violand-Sanchez (incumbent), Noah Simon and Larry Fishtahler. Arlington Democrats will endorse two candidates at a May caucus. [Sun Gazette]
Arlington Fire Hockey Team to Play Fairfax — The Arlington Fire Hockey Team, made up of personnel from Arlington County’s fire and police departments, will face off against the Fairfax County Fire team on Saturday, from about 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The game is being played at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston (627 N. Glebe Road). Tickets are $5 for adults and benefit a hockey club for athletes with developmental disabilities. Kids 12 and under are free. [NOVA Cool Cats]
Board Won’t Consider Office Project This Month — The site plan for an office development in Courthouse, originally expected to be considered by the Arlington County Board this weekend month, is being pushed back a bit. It’s now expected to be voted on by the Board in March, April or even later.
Spotted in Arlington: Ovie’s New Girlfriend
Via the Montreal Gazette, of all places, comes word that Capitals star Alex Ovechkin’s new girlfriend has been hanging around Arlington as of late.
Russian tennis star Maria Kirilenko has been photographed working out with the George Washington University tennis team, presumably at the indoor Sport & Health Club courts in Crystal City. She has also been spotted at Capitals practices, presumably at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston, according to the Gazette.
Ovechkin, who lives in a $1.6 million home in Arlington’s Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood, recently confirmed the relationship by Tweeting out a photo of the happy couple (left). Before that Tweet, however, the Gazette could only speculate as to why Kirilenko seemed to be spending so much time in our fair county.
“In all seriousness, putting aside the fact that this is pretty good gossip, if you’re a Russian tennis player and you choose … Arlington, Va. for some indoor practice, it’s probably not because you’re an American history buff,” the paper said.
Let us know via email or the comments if you spot Ovie and his new GF out on the town.
Kettler to Host Charity Hockey Game on Saturday
The NHL season doesn’t start for another month, but local fans will be able to get their fill of hockey action this Saturday at Ballston’s Kettler Capital Iceplex (627 North Glebe Road), during the third annual Charity Hockey Classic.
The charity game, which benefits Inova Blood Donor Services, will pit the Booz Allen Hamilton Minutemen corporate hockey team against the returning champion Virginia Coaching Cardinals, a squad of local youth hockey coaches. John “Cakes” Auville and Eric “E.B.” Bickel — of the Sports Junkies morning show on 106.7 The Fan — will serve as guest coaches, along with Capitals teammates Matt Hendricks and Jeff Schultz.
The event, which is being held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, will also feature a silent auction, appearances by local celebrities, ‘Mites on Ice’ youth hockey exhibitions and “the ever-popular ‘chuck-a-duck’ contest,” according to a press release. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for kids. Organizers hope to raise $40,000 to purchase a blood testing machine for Inova.
Pep Rally in Ballston for Playoff-Bound Caps
The Capitals are again headed for the playoffs, and to celebrate the team is holding a pep rally at its practice facility in Ballston.
From 10:00 this morning until the end of the team’s practice session, fans are encouraged to come to the Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 North Glebe Road) to “Rock the Red” and show their support. Caps announcer Wes Johnson will be there to pump up the crowd, and 106.7 The Fan’s Mike Wise Show will be broadcasting live.
There will also be t-shirt giveaways and an appearance by Slapshot, the team’s avian mascot.
The Capitals will face off against the New York Rangers tomorrow at Verizon Center, the first game of the first round of the playoffs.
Arlington First Responders Place First in Hockey Tourney
The team was formed less than two months ago, and they only got their jerseys the day before their first game, but Arlington cops and firefighters managed to take first place in a charity hockey tournament over the weekend,
The joint ACFD/ACPD team beat Montgomery County Fire (score: 5-1), D.C. Fire (score: 7-0) and Baltimore City Fire (twice) to win their division at the annual D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation hockey tournament in Laurel, Md. They won 5-4 in overtime in the championship game against Baltimore City on Sunday.
Team organizer Sean Spencer says the 30-man roster contains people who have been playing ice hockey since they were kids and people who just took up the sport in the past couple of years. They had great chemistry on the ice, he said, despite only playing together as a team one time prior to the tournament.
“We’re pretty happy with the outcome,” Spencer said. “[The players] are ecstatic we got a team together and were successful at the level we were.”
Spencer says the D.C. and Baltimore fire teams have already asked for a rematch. To facilitate that, he’s planning on talking to Ballston’s Kettler Capitals Iceplex about setting up a charity tournament in a couple of months, to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Photo via Facebook
