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Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center Offers Many Activities and Incentives to Lace up Those Skates


January 05, 2010

 NEWPORT, RI, January 4, 2010 – The ice is now thick and welcoming to local families, sightseers, diners and shoppers at the Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center, located at the Newport Yachting Center on America’s Cup Avenue in downtown Newport.  A host of activities are planned at the rink in the coming days and weeks, including the popular Learn To Skate Program and Skate Camp, as well as nightly specials.  “Taking a skate at the Skating Center is the perfect remedy to get you into the spirit of the season,” said Michele Maker Palmieri, General Manager of the Newport Yachting Center.  “And, if you can’t get enough and want to improve upon your skating skills, the Learn to Skate Program or our Skate Camp during school vacation in February are always popular.” 

The Learn to Skate Program for Beginner, Novice and Intermediate levels will start this week.  Back by popular demand, and led by trained professionals, participants take part in a six-week session that runs for consecutive weeks on Tuesdays, January 5, 12, 19 and 26 and February 2 and 9 (Children: 6:30 – 7:15 p.m. and Adults/Teenagers: 7:30 – 8:15 p.m.) and Saturdays, January 9, 16, 23 and 30 and February 6 and 13 (Children: 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. or 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.).  Children must be at least 4 years old to join in.  To sign up for the session, simply go to skatenewport.com, download and complete the form and fax it to Erica Keating at (401) 619-4616.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to call (401) 846-1600, ext. 227.

Looking for plans during the Winter Vacation?  Enroll in The Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center Skate Camp for school vacation week, February 15 -19.  To sign up for the camp, simply go to skatenewport.com, download and complete the form and fax it to Erica Keating at (401) 619-4616.  If you have any questions, please call (401) 846-1600, ext. 227. 

Admission to the Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and children between 3-11 years of age.  However, there are nightly specials, including Free Skate Nights on Mondays courtesy of Sovereign Bank and Wednesdays courtesy of Cox Communications.  Stop & Shop Night, sponsored by Stop & Shop Supermarkets, is on Tuesdays when admission is 2-for-1 and Thursday features Amica Family Fun Night complete with discounted admission and a free cup of hot chocolate.  On the weekend, admission to the Adult Skate session is discounted on Friday and Saturday night while Sunday’s Rhody Night pays homage to the locals with discounted admission with a valid Rhode Island Resident ID. 

The Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center features a 9,000 square foot skating surface large enough to accommodate up to 150 skaters at a time.  FREE parking, skate rentals, hot beverages and comfort foods, lighting for night skating, regular admission discounts, a warming room and viewing spaces for the public are also featured at the rink.  They can be purchased at the Family Skating Center.  Skate sharpening is available for $5. 

The skating center’s Standard Winter Session Schedule, which includes all days EXCEPT school vacations and holidays, is: Monday – Thursday, 5:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. with an Adult Skate session from 9:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.; and weekend hours on Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. with an Adult Skate from 9:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.  Extended School Vacation Schedule hours will run from February 15 – 19.  For more details on either of these Winter Session schedules, please visit skatenewport.com.

Sovereign Bank, which provides customized solutions to help its customers reach their financial goals, operates branches at 286 Thames Street in Newport and 42 Valley Road in Middletown, as well as more than 250 other locations in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts.  The Newport Yachting Center is a subsidiary of Newport Harbor Corporation, an ESOP (employee-owned) hospitality company located in Newport, Rhode Island.  For more information about the Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center at the Newport Yachting Center and weather updates, call (401) 846-3018 or visit skatenewport.com.