Westport Friends of the Arena

Westport friends of the arena (fota) is a volunteer non-profit organization in westport focused on upgrading and enhancing the aging community area. Their goal is to create a vibrant and inclusive environment for all residents. In addition to raising funds for building improvements fota is dedicated to providing opportunities for young people to experience playing hockey. Each year fota organizes a twice-weekly shinny program. Shinny is designed for both girls and boys who have never played hockey before. Participants learn the basics of the sport from experienced coaches over several months. The program is extremely popular especially among families who cannot afford to equip their children or pay for lessons. Fota covers all costs associated with equipment and ice time. Each child is provided with properly fitting skates and all necessary safety gear before stepping onto the ice. Coaches generously volunteer their time to support the program. The annual expenses for the shinny program average #3 000.