TENANTS HARBOR — With the setup of the St. George community skating rink on the horizon, Dec. 18, one Tenants Harbor boy has made it his mission to provide more access to ice skates to members of his community. 

St. George School third grader Dexter Falla approached Ben Vail, the town’s Park and Recreation Department director, and the P&R committee this fall with a pay it forward idea to collect ice skates that could be collected and left in a storage box at the rink to provide an opportunity for those without skates to still enjoy the thrills of the rink. 

The eight-year-old’s pay it forward project began when he received a jersey of NFL rookie quarterback Mac Jones of the New England Patriots from his mom’s cousin, Rachel Hart. Hart suggested he pay it forward in a way meaningful to him. 

Falla, who enjoyed using the skating rink many times last year through the pandemic with his twin brother John, decided to collect ice skates. 

“Kids that don't have skates can skate there, practice and have fun,” he said of the driving force behind choosing accessibility to skates as his pay it forward campaign. “I like hockey, and people that really want to play hockey can play hockey or just skate [with the donated skates]. I really want kids to know how to skate.” 

After receiving approval from Vail and the committee in October, Falla has received support from an array of community members, including Jesse Simko, the arena director at the Midcoast Recreation Center and ice hockey coach to the Falla boys, who expressed a recent interest in filling gaps of sizes that were not, or hardly were, donated during Falla’s campaign. 

In addition to collecting skates, Dexter, who is being assisted on this project by John and his parents Dan and Kristin, is also working to establish a storage box for the donated skates at the rink. Ideas to make that aspect of the project are still in the works, Dexter said, but donations are already coming in for the container. 

If your family has any old or outgrown skates you would like to donate, they can be dropped off at the St. George town office or by contacting Kristin Falla at kfalla11@gmail.com for other arrangements. 

“Our family appreciates the community's interest and help in the project and we look forward to seeing anyone who wants to skate enjoying the St. George rink this winter,” said Dexter’s mother, Kristin.