Featured

Scary fun: Pediatric patients skate with their families at Halloween party

20241023-news-skate-001 — Phoebe Behrman, 8, holds on to her father, Mark, ask they take part in the second annual Rollin’ Halloween Party on Monday.

20241022-news-skate-001 — Ezekiel Dailey, 9, sticks his tongue out as his grandmother Suzanne Wieck pushes him along during the second annual Rollin’ Halloween Party at Skate-O-Mania on Monday.

20241022-news-skate-003 — Skate-O-Mania partnered with Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care to host the annual Rollin’ Halloween Party at Skate-O-Mania on Monday for patients, their families and staff.

Gino Gutierrez Gino Gutierrez Gino Gutierrez Podcast Editor

Published October 22, 2024 - 12:34 p.m. Modified October 22, 2024 - 10:25 p.m.

Skate-O-Mania partnered with Thrive Skilled Pediatric Care on Monday to host the second annual Rollin’ Halloween Party for Thrive’s patients, their families and staff.

Skate-O-Mania owner Courtney Ballew donated his staff, facility time and skate rentals to the hundreds of families attending the event. Patients and their families were decked out in their spooky costumes. Several group-themed costumes made appearances; Super Mario and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were fan favorites.

Thrive SPC is a nursing agency providing skilled care to more than 100 medically fragile patients in their homes and elsewhere in the community. With many of the patients being wheelchair- and walker-dependent, the event was an opportunity for family members to skate alongside them and share smiles and laughs as they circled the neon-lit roller rink.