Though the opening of Liberty Station’s annual winter ice rink has been delayed, organizers promise the show will still go on.
“We’re not 100 percent certain what went wrong, but don’t want to lose any more time, so we’re laying pipes on the concrete to create ice as soon as possible,” said Bridgett Brown, president of the Rady Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, about technical difficulties that suspended the planned Nov. 16 opening of the rink.
“We hope to be open for skating soon, so we are able to raise as much money as possible for the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders over the holiday season, which is our main goal,” added Brown.
Discussing the purpose of the seasonal ice rink, Brown said it’s purpose “is to partner with Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego to advocate for the health and well-being of children, increase community awareness of Rady Children’s Hospital, and raise funds to support the psychosocial programs and services offered through Rady Children’s Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.” 
In its first two years, the ice rink was successful, drawing about 30,000 people in 2015 and 33,000 people in 2016. Each year, the rink has raised approximately $130,000 to support the Rady Children’s Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The rest of the funds cover operational costs.
Once opened, Liberty Station’s seasonal ice rink will remain in operation throughout the holiday season until Jan. 7.
With technology borrowed from Canada, the Rady Children’s Ice Rink at Liberty Station is uniquely designed underground, and is the first of its kind in Southern California. 
“At the conclusion of the skating season we will again bring down experts from Canada to further assess the issues and troubleshoot for the future,” Brown said.