What started as a quest to find an affordable gym has turned into something greater – a mission to better a neighborhood and the lives of people who live there.
When Caitlin Behle was training for the Flying Pig half marathon, she needed a gym to go to. She stopped in the
Over-the-Rhine Community Center and found more than she expected: an underutilized and completely awesome roller rink.
“I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ ” Behle said. “I’ve been wasting all this time running at the gym at [the University of Cincinnati] and I totally could have been roller skating instead.”
After discovering the rink, Behle and
Far-I-Rome Productions, created
OTR Skate. The fourth and final Final Friday and skate of the year, Behle, who has no professional affiliation with the center – just a love for it and Over-the-Rhine – is hoping to bring in money, funds, and costumes so neighborhood children can have an unforgettable Halloween.
“We’re trying to do something cool for the city,” she said. Money raised at the event goes back to the OTR rec center, which funds youth programs, scholarships, and memberships for kids. It’s also a way to expose people to the center which people might not even realize is there.
Can’t skate? Don’t worry about it: the Cincinnati Rollergirls will offer 5 minute skate lessons and demonstrations.
Won’t skate? There’s something for you, too. There will be free Wii, table tennis, pool, and foosball. The Cincinnati Film Festival will also screen scary short films by local filmmakers. Music will be provided by DJs Apryl Reign and Diamonn Gurr.
At the first Final Friday event in April, Behle said she had no idea what to expect, but the response was remarkable. More than 200 people showed up creating a line that there went out the door and, at one point, there weren’t enough skates to go around.
Not bad problems to have when you’re trying to do good.
Final Friday OTR Skate, open to anyone 18 and older, is Oct. 28 from 8 to 11 p.m. at the rec center, 1715 Rebpublic St. Admission, which includes skate rentals, is $3 and donations of candy and gently used or new Halloween costumes are encouraged.
The after party, catered to the 21 and older crowd, starts at 11 p.m. at the Drinkery, 1150 Main St.
Do Good:
Donate: Donate cash, candy and carrying totes, and costumes to make Halloween special for a local child this year. Any little bit helps and you don’t have to wait until Friday to drop off a donation.
Join: Buying a membership – which, for an adult, is $25 for the year – helps sustain the center and others in Cincinnati.
Go: Even just showing up to the skate party helps the center financially.
By Taylor Dungjen
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