Submitted Photo Pictured above is a snapshot of the 5th annual DFT Community Appreciation Day held earlier this year.

DFT Communications recently held its 5th annual Community Appreciation Day at Steele Hall on the SUNY Fredonia college campus. The event is held each year as a way of saying thank you to the community for their continued business and support of DFT and is free of charge and open to the public for all ages.

The two-hour event is hosted by the Blue Devils men’s ice hockey team in Steele Hall where a family community skate is held for the first hour and pick-up games with the hockey team are offered for the children in attendance during the second hour.

Three individual rinks are set up on the ice and the hockey players split up evenly so that each section of the rink is covered.

“It is truly so heartwarming to watch the way these players look after the kids in attendance and guide and help them and patiently offer them tips and ways to be a better hockey player,” stated Dan Siracuse, Marketing & Public Relations Manager with DFT Communications. “It just gets better and better every year and I am so impressed with this team and the way they look after our guests. This is what part of being a community is all about. We are so fortunate to have the relationships we have with the college campus and the community.”

Many people in the community attended this year’s event and the SUNY Fredonia campus as Tim Horton’s provided coffee, hot chocolate and Timbits for all to enjoy during the event. Contests were also held with several prizes awarded from both DFT Communications and Fredonia State. Each guest also left with a free gift on behalf of DFT Communications.

Jeff Meredith, SUNY Fredonia’s head coach, shared, “I want to thank DFT for being a tremendous partner in this great community service event. This has turned into a real family activity and our players enjoy being part of it and although they are only here for four years, they want to be part of the community so that long after they have left, they always look forward to returning.”

Planning will begin soon for this year and the 6th annual DFT Communications Community Appreciation Day.