Hilary Hayssen

Hockey is synonymous with family. When I moved to Rockford for medical school, I found my family, and my place in Rockford, through hockey. And that family wouldn’t exist without the ice house at Riverview.

It’s one of those old barns, skaters know the one, the crisp feel as you walk in, the exposed ceiling, and the buzz of kids and parents and beer leaguers like myself. While my glory days of division 1 college hockey were behind me, the passion and excitement for the game was still there while dragging my big bag into Riverview for a late game. 

But to explain what Riverview means to me, I have to take a step back. I’ve moved a lot over the years, college in Boston, med school in Rockford, a few years in California, and currently surgical residency in Baltimore. And the first things I look for when I move somewhere new is hockey, a gym, and a good running route. The Y became my 5am wake up call, the river path my weekend jog, and Riverview my new home rink. This core of activities became my rock, and led to more opportunities to get involved with the community. Despite my busy medical school schedule, the best part of my week was volunteering as a youth hockey coach at Riverview. It was a time to give back and share my love of the sport with the next generation. To think that that next generation won’t have access to the greatest game on earth, causes me pause. There is no river view without the Riverview Ice Rink, and it’s an absolutely integral part of the recreation center of Rockford and I genuinely hope that the Board of Commissioners reconsider the closure of Riverview and the UW Health Sports Factory. To lose this core of recreation at the center of Rockford would deprive citizens, both life-long, and brand-new, like I once was, from the opportunity to find a family.

Thank you for your consideration.