HALLOWELL — The Kennebec Youth Hockey Association will be holding a public celebration for the role the former Kennebec Ice Arena (KIA) has played in supporting and promoting the sport of hockey and other events over the past 30 + years.

All current and former Kennebec Valley Youth Hockey players and anyone who had the pleasure to enjoy the Kennebec Ice Arena are invited to a celebration on Sunday, April 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the site of the KIA rink.

The arena was destroyed when its roof collapsed under the weight of ice and snow earlier this month.

Players past and present are asked to wear a hockey jersey of their choice. Particularly requested are jerseys of teams that played at KIA for a public photo to be taken at 2 p.m.

T-shirts and other items will be sold by the Kennebec Youth Hockey Association to help raise funds to support the KVYHA association and its hockey programs.

“We at KVYHA are so supportive and thankful to the Prescott Family and all the staff of KIA for the years of dedication and support to our association and to all the players of ice hockey that we wanted to come together and show our very public support of them during this time. All the players, parents and coaches of all our KVYHA teams strongly support the rebuilding of KIA and the realization of Rosy’s Rink of Dreams,” said Wendy Gagne, current President of the Kennebec Valley Youth Hockey Association.

There will be a raffle drawing for various door prized donated by local supporting merchants, as well as food and photos available for purchase.

There also will be a memory board set up where those attending may sign and leave a short note of support or share copies of old photos from years past that will be kept by the staff of the KIA rink. The memory banner will be saved and displayed as part of the grand reopening of the new rink once construction is complete and the rink is dedicated as the new “Rosy’s Rink of Dreams.”