Thanks to a generous gift from the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, the Class of 1923 Arena on Penn’s campus will receive numerous upgrades and renovations to improve the facility and allow it to operate year-round.
When the upgrades are complete later this year, Snider Hockey—which provides youth hockey and other enrichment programs—will move its base of operations to the arena.
Snider Hockey not only offers youth hockey leagues, but also healthy initiatives, homework and tutoring services, and life skills opportunities for underserved children throughout Philadelphia and Camden, serving hundreds of schoolchildren since its inception in 2005.
Although the Class of ’23 Arena has hosted Snider Hockey for ice time since 2005, the new plans to renovate the space will allow the arena to remain open throughout the summer (where previously they could only play hockey from November to March). This will allow the Foundation to offer a 10-week summer program for boys and girls. Once the upgrades are complete in October and Snider Hockey relocates to the rink, they will also host a daily after-school league.
This partnership between Penn and Snider Hockey will extend more support and services to participants, 70% of whom come from neighborhoods below the poverty level. All their programs are delivered at no cost, making ice time accessible for kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity to play.
The $7 million gift includes $2 million of support from Philadelphia Flyers Alumni, many of whom attended a charity game in February at the Class of ’23 Arena to celebrate the announcement.
