History

The Martha's Vineyard Arena is rich in tradition and steep in history relating to the Vineyard, but still considered young at the age of 39. It was established in 1974 and began operations in January 1980 as an outdoor skating facility. In 1992, with the help of local businesses and a generous loan that was guaranteed, the Arena completed a capital improvement program that enclosed the ice arena and provided year-round skating activities. The Arena's vision is to provide a place that continues to foster community development and enrich the lives of children, teenagers and parents. It is a place where good values are instilled and where friendship and respect are the products of peer support and parental involvement. As indicated above, the Arena was built in stages as sections of the structure were added over the years largely due to the efforts by a combination of volunteers from the community and donations. The donations received started as early as 1983 when the founder of Fairleigh Dickinson University, Fairleigh S. Dickinson, donated funds to build a roof over the ice. Then in 1999 fundraising began to accumulate funds to build the locker rooms, showers and bathrooms initiated by Gayle and Bob Mone, who are full time residents of the Vineyard and their friends, Bob and Tara Levine, summer residents. The Levines were also largely responsible for the purchase of the Arena's Zamboni in 2009 amongst other projects spread out over the years.