Wish for Community Hockey Rink Comes True with Partnership Between City of Kyle and Make-A-Wish® Central & South Texas

***Update: Make-A-Wish announces postponement of ribbon cutting event 

The wish of a young Kyle boy with heart trouble is becoming reality. Ash Crane, now 12, who has a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, asked Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas to build a hockey pavilion. The City of Kyle partnered with the nonprofit to make Ash’s wish come true with 4-year project funded by both organizations and many community donors.

WHAT: Ash's wish is to have a public, concrete roller hockey rink “So he can share his love of hockey with everyone and create a space where kids of all ages can skate and enjoy the great sport together,” his mother Lisa said. This weekend, Make-A-Wish and the City of Kyle are celebrating the power of community and partnership with a social-distancing ribbon cutting for the completion of Ash’s Pavilion.

“Through all of this, he has remained one of the happiest kids I have ever seen,” she said. “Ash’s hope is to share his love of hockey with the community with the development of a multi-use hockey pavilion in Kyle.

In response to COVID-19, this event is invitation only to attend in-person. The City of Kyle will live stream the event on their Facebook channel for others to tune in virtually. All in-person attendees must wear a mask to attend and maintain proper social distancing of at least 6-feet between individuals and/or households.

The ribbon cutting will include a short program and a 30-minute hockey exhibition game with the Chaparral Ice.

"This pavilion was a collective outpour of care — from Make-A-Wish to all the amazing individuals and businesses in our city that came together to make Ash's dream come true — it's just been an incredible thing to witness," Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell said. "We're truly thankful to Ash for sharing his love of hockey with the community."

“This has been an incredible story of inspiration that brings out the best in our community,” said Kathrin Brewer, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas. “Ash’s generous wish to share his love of hockey brought the City of Kyle and friends together to create something that is so much more than any of us could have imagined.  The reverberations will be even more exciting.”

WHY: With COVID-19, new health worries are also present, bringing added isolation and vulnerability for wish kids and their families. While fighting their illness, children are now anxiously counting the days until their wish will be granted. Their families are counting, too. Now more than ever, hope is essential.

WHEN: Saturday, October 3rd, 2020 | 11am

WHERE: The ribbon cutting will be held at Gregg-Clarke Park, 1231-1301 W. Center St. The community is invited to watch the Live Stream on the City of Kyle Parks and Recreation Department’s Facebook page.

WHO: Ash Pavilion was made possible by donations from Make A Wish, Texas Stars Foundation, Southwest Water Company, City of Kyle, TF Harper and Associates, Lewis Signs, Asif, Doucet and Associates, Rick Coleman, Smart Paint, Majestic Realty, Anthem, Six Creeks, Robert McDonald, John Doucet, Charles Teeple, Dave Mahn, Kathy Roecker, Penny Krug, Gayle Wismar, Jennifer Cavazos, Rick Sheldon, Scott Felder, Richard Hill and Paige Saenz.

For more information about Make-A-Wish, visit wish.org.

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH CENTRAL & SOUTH TEXAS

Make-A-Wish® Central & South Texas creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We are on a quest to bring every eligible child's wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. Headquartered in Austin and San Antonio, TX, Make-A-Wish is the community’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community across 40 counties. 

For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit cstx.wish.org.