Special skate part Road Trip

This year, to celebrate the Big Kansas Road Trip coming to the area, the Formoso Skating Rink will have a special skate from 7 to 9 p.m., on Saturday. Plus, there is a pulled pork supper beginning at 5 p.m. at the Formoso Fire Hall. The proceeds from the supper will fund skating rink improvements and make sure the record-breaking crowds of skaters keep on rolling.

In yesteryear, one could skate in Formoso and several area towns. The late Rex Headrick remembered tents for skating on South Central in Superior. There was a skating tent in Jewell also. The late John Edwards was a "skate boy" in Jewell, fitting skates for customers. Roller skaters could also skate in Randall and Mankato.

But that was then. Now Formoso has the only skating rink for miles around. The closest one seems to be Beatrice. According to Mike Worm, the rink in Formoso draws skaters from a 100-mile radius. 

On a recent Saturday evening, Leslie Smith, Glen Elder, was at the rink for the first time. She and her children were "excited" and she "loved it."  Kurt Child, Belleville, also was there but his family comes "once a month." The Kelly Griffeth family, Ionia, was also there for the first time but Elsie May Dillow, Concordia, comes "a lot."!

Though there was skating in Formoso "back in the day," the present skating rink opened on March 13, 1981, when Laveria Peters, Gene Clark, Dale and Ivah Hoard got the rink organized. For some 18 years, Mike and Deb Worm have been the volunteer managers of the rink. One night they were there to skate. Nobody was there to open and someone tossed them the keys saying "have fun."  They have been opening the rink every second and fourth Saturday from September to April ever since.

Come to Formoso on May 6 and enjoy a great meal. Then see the only skating rink in Jewell County.