December Athlete of the Month Mary Grace Wood

She loves to dance and she loves to skate! Just turn the music on at the Hamburg Town Rink and Mary Grace Wood is ready for a party! At just 18 years of age, Mary Grace has been skating with SABAH for over 12 years. Since she was 6 years old, SABAH has had the tremendous privilege of watching Mary Grace’s skills progress to the point where she has become a pivotal member of the intermediate group during the Saturday morning sessions. In addition to her strong skating abilities, Mary Grace always comes to the rink with a smile on her face and a great sense of humor that lightens everyone’s mood.

Mary Grace’s contributions to SABAH don’t stop with her participation in SABAH’s Hamburg weekend program! Mary Grace and her friends from the Cantalician Center serve as off-ice volunteers for SABAH’s daytime School Day Adaptive Ice Skating program, a program that serves over 550 children with special needs. During the week, Mary Grace and her friends assist classes of children from regional schools by setting up skates for the groups before each session, packing up skates after the sessions are over, and assisting with any needs off the ice. SABAH’s Director of Programming, Carrie Drabik, states, “Our off-ice volunteers are such a huge help to us, as they give us the opportunity to work with the groups out on the ice while they assist the groups in the locker rooms.”

One of the greatest joys of SABAH is witnessing our athletes progress both on and off the ice, especially to the point where they give back to the community through volunteering. Each week from October through March, Mary Grace both participates in SABAH’s weekend program and serves as a volunteer for the School Day program. For all her accomplishments and contributions, SABAH is pleased to name Mary Grace Wood as the 2019 December Athlete of the Month.