Hi, Legion pond is a body of Fresh water between Old Post Rd and State Rd in Kittery. This spring fed oasis is a special place and a bit of a hidden gem. In 1935 an article was written that described how the Legionnaires got permission from the land owners in 1931 to put a small spill way dam on the outflow of the existing creek. They did this to create a large body of water for ice skating and recreation. In its hey day in the 1930's there would have been no less than 500 people on the ice on a good day.

Fast forward 95 years and Legion Pond is a thriving body of water that supports an amazing diversity of wildlife, birds, fish, and turtles. We recently have seen Bald Eagles, Osprey, all kinds of ducks, geese, Great Blue Herons and many more birds. In the winter when the ice is thick enough its a great place for public skating, hockey games and even cross country skiing.

I took over plowing and maintenance for skating rinks 2 years ago and the popularity of the ice skating has grown. A resurgence of skaters with a cold Dec 2025 that has produced thick ice and over 30 days of skating so far. On a busy day we have counted over 100 people on the ice enjoying the skating and just hanging out and socializing. People coming out that haven't skated for years or decades and families are all enjoying the free skating and lots of hockey games.

Legion Pond Skating Club was formed to promote the ice paradise that we have there. We do not want to burden the taxpayers with the costs to maintain the ice. We are looking for current financial support to maintain the skating rinks and free skate areas for all the community to enjoy. We have been maintaining the 5 rinks and 1/4 mile nature skate to the quiet end of the Pond for the last 2 winters with no financial support. It takes at least 4-6 hours to plow the rinks and scrape the ice to get a better ice surface.

We sometimes need to flood the skating areas by drilling 8" holes and using a generator and pump we can flood each rink in about 3 hours with 3 people. Costs to plow 5 rinks and the skating path is about $200-$300 per plow after storms and so far this year alone its been plowed 4 times and only halfway through the season. We need $3k for all this maintenance for the 2025/26 season.

We have some great new equipment for snow removal, ice scaping, and to flood the areas if needed. The other part of this fundraiser is to help pay for the Legion Pond Mini Olympics and Festival Event on Feb 7th 2026. This event will cost roughly $3k to put on. We expect 100-200 people for this event that will a 3 on 3 hockey tournament, skating races, figure skating and other events. We will have an on ice BBQ , hot drinks, music, fire pits and rent portable toilets for the day. Any support for the Legion Pond community skating and this Olympic Festival is really appreciated.

You can go to Facebook Legion Pond Skating Club and Facebook Friends of Legion Pond for ice condition updates and event details. Hope for more cold weather and fun times o the ice!

My name is Dana Kimball, also known as "the plow guy" and I will be personally withdrawing and utilizing these funds to maintain the ice and support the costs of Winterfest.

Thank you for your Community Support!