Pond hockey depends on the weather, but as it turns out, it also depends on the Kalispell City Council.

Fortunately for the second annual Montana Pond Hockey Classic, the Kalispell council warmed up to the hockey event at just the right time — when the unusual February weather for the past few weeks was threatening to sink the event.

So, thanks to a last-minute vote by the City Council, it’s goodbye Foy’s Lake and hello Woodland Park. 

There are certainly challenges presented by the change in venue, including the fact that beer won’t be available on site, but everyone is working hard to make this a memorable event for the dozens of teams and hundreds of spectators expected on hand Friday and Saturday.

The can-do attitude of everyone involved made sure the event will happen on schedule. We encourage our readers to come out and cheer on the skaters, enjoy the early spring weather and celebrate another local triumph.

Check out this event, too!

Through a coincidence of timing, pond hockey teams will share the ice at Woodland Park this weekend with participants of a sled hockey clinic staged by the recently launched Moving Forward Foundation.

Starla Hilliard-Barnes, a Kalispell woman paralyzed in a hit-and-run accident, is the driving force behind Moving Forward. The organization already has held 10 sporting events, including zip lining, sled hockey, horseback riding, hand cycling, water and snow skiing and kayaking.

Starla and her husband, Shannon Barnes, are busy advocates for people with disabilities. When they’re not conducting local events they’re traveling the country to give motivational talks with the theme of life without limitations. They’re also working to create an adaptive park in Kalispell.

It’s wonderful to see opportunities expanded for differently abled people. Moving Forward joins some other wonderful adaptive programs offered in the Flathead Valley, including DREAM Adaptive Recreation, the Unlimbeted Foundation, Miracle Field and the Special Olympics. We applaud their efforts and love Moving Forward’s theme for wheelchair athletes: “Never stop rocking just because you roll.”