Entertainment

Veteran brings hockey passion, recreation opportunities to Fort Bragg’s Cleland Ice Rink

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Tuesday, 06 January 2026

Written by April Olsen, Fort Bragg Garrison Public Affairs

“An ice rink is really a big family. We have figure skaters, hockey players, even 4-year-olds learning to skate,” said Brian Peate, who manages Cleland Ice Rink on Fort Bragg.
“I’ve skated my whole life,” said Peate, who grew up in Virginia. It was natural for him to look for a place to continue skating when he enlisted in the Army.
After three years in the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington, Peate served in 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg for 19 years before retiring in the local area with his family.
Peate visited the Cleland Ice Rink quite a bit when he was a soldier stationed here. He and fellow Green Berets in 3rd Group thought of it as another physical fitness facility. “Gyms have competitive sports like basketball, we do the same thing with hockey … get out on the ice, get the competitive juices going, it’s a way to stay in shape. It also provides a relief from stress.”
In retirement, Peate joked that he played ‘chauffeur’ to his teenage son—who was a nationally ranked hockey player—traveling to practice and games. After a year, he took on his current role at Cleland with a goal of expanding awareness of the facility.
“It’s a passion project,” he said. “I’ve been skating here over 20 years … and I still hear, ‘Fort Bragg has an ice rink?’”
Fort Bragg’s Cleland Ice Rink is open year-round and offers scheduled hours for hockey, figure skating, public skating and even lessons for ages 4 and up. Run by the Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, Cleland is open to service members, families, and the public.
Ashley Young has been skating for 10 years but didn’t know an ice rink was located on post when she served in uniform on Fort Bragg. She said that sometimes service members are busy or uninterested in trying something new or just do not know about the rink.
Young enjoys skating so much that her 10-year old daughter, Inara Segura, is now taking lessons. “Skating is a lot more inclusive than ballet or dance,” Young said, although it also helps build skills such as physical stamina and balance. The experience has led them to other events at Cleland, such as skate nights and college games.
Anyone who can get a visitor pass onto the installation can take advantage of public skating hours and attend events such as monthly themed skate nights, Peate said.
The December skate event featured a performance by the Airborne Ice Skating Team and open skating for visitors. The ‘Christmas Skate’ has grown from about 25 people attending the first year, 300 the second year, and more than 600 this year. It’s something Peate is proud of and attributes to the efforts by the Cleland and FMWR teams. “We work hard getting information out to the public … it has grown every year.”
“With Cleland Ice Rink, we’ve enhanced the amount of programming and community offerings,” said Michael Desmone, the Chief of Community Recreation for FMWR. Peate has also initiated several self-help and Directorate of Public Works projects to enhance the facility itself, such as maintenance and repainting, Desmone said.
One such community offering is hosting college hockey games. During the hockey season, Peate tries to schedule at least one game per month, but no more than two.
“We don’t want to take away from our other events and programs,” he said. “We try not to cancel any public skate event, so we float the game schedule.”
Since there are no local area college ice hockey games, offering even a few each season is an opportunity to view great action on the ice, Peate said.
“College games are fun, the players are hungry, still trying to make it,” Peate said. It also encourages younger players to keep working on their goals. “Cape Fear Youth Hockey Association uses the rink … a lot of kids look at sports as an opportunity to go to college,” he said.
Whether it is inspiring young athletes, helping troops get in some PT or simply offering families an opportunity to ice skate, Brian Peate is happy to share his love of ice skating and extend the Cleland Ice Rink family.
The Fort Bragg College Hockey Series will host games at Cleland Ice Rink on Fort Bragg in January, February and March 2026, featuring North Carolina State, University of North Carolina and others to be announced. For more information, visit the Fort Bragg FMWR website at https://bragg.armymwr.com/

(Photo: Cleland Ice & Inline Skating Rinks are located at 3-1606 Rock Merritt Ave. on Fort Bragg. The ice rink offers lessons, public skating and special events throughout the year. Photos by April Olsen, Fort Bragg Public Affairs)

A Season of compassion: CARE Clinic’s 29th Week of CARE

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Tuesday, 06 January 2026

Written by Katie Herring

The CARE Clinic is proud to announce the 29th Annual Week of CARE Dinners, running from Feb. 1 through Feb. 7. This cherished tradition offers a unique opportunity to enjoy a gourmet meal while directly supporting the health and well-being of our neighbors.
According to Nicole Ryan, Director of Development and Marketing, this week is more than just a fundraiser; it is a celebration of the "Compassion, Assistance, Referral, and Education" that defines the CARE Clinic. Whether you are hosting a cozy family gathering, a dinner party with friends, or showing appreciation for your employees with a corporate luncheon, participating in the Week of CARE ensures that quality healthcare remains accessible to all.
The CARE Clinic provides healthcare services to adults in the Sandhills region who might otherwise not have access to essential care. Since 1993, the clinic at 239 Robeson Street in Fayetteville has been committed to providing care to its community, through the work of volunteers-including doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, lab technicians, and more-and with various fundraising efforts, including the week of CARE.
Exceptional Meals for a Meaningful Cause
For 2026, the Clinic has once again partnered with two local culinary staples: Luigi’s Italian Restaurant and Dorothy’s Catering 2. Each meal is priced at $175 and feeds up to six people.
Luigi’s Italian Restaurant offers both lunch and dinner pick-up options, featuring two comforting Italian classics:
• Family Style Chicken Marsala: Served with green beans, creamy mashed potatoes, and fresh bread.
• Family Style Spaghetti with Meat Sauce: Served with a fresh house salad and bread.
• Luigi’s Pick-Up (528 N McPherson Church Rd): Lunch is available from noon to 1 p.m., and dinner from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. For convenience, simply drive up to the outside patio on the right-hand side of the restaurant for drive-thru style service.
Note: Orders are limited to 10 of each meal per time slot per day, so early booking is encouraged.
Dorothy’s Catering 2 Specializing in dinner pick-up only. Dorothy’s provides three lasagna varieties, all of which include a salad, bread, and dessert:
• Meat Lasagna
• Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
• Vegetarian Lasagna
• Pick-Up (Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, 701 Westmont Dr.): Dinner pick-up is from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fellowship Hall. Please enter the back parking lot along Rockledge Avenue and follow the CARE Clinic signage.
Please note that all orders must be placed before Jan. 28. To order meals, call 910-485-0555, or order online at https://onecau.se/woc2026
Sponsorship and Continued Support
For those looking to deepen their impact, the CARE Clinic offers five distinct sponsorship levels ranging from $250 to $5,000. These sponsorships help provide additional funds that are vital to the operations of the Clinic. Some sponsorship levels come with additional, exclusive perks related to other fundraisers held later in the year.
Every dollar contributed serves a vital purpose. According to Ryan, “Every dollar you give helps a neighbor receive a diagnosis, a prescription, or the reassurance that someone truly cares.”
Looking Ahead to 2026
The CARE Clinic continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of Fayetteville and the surrounding region. Stay tuned for upcoming news regarding their partnership with FirstHealth of the Carolinas and the arrival of the Lung Bus, a mobile imaging system that offers low-dose CT lung screening technology. The Clinic also has partnerships with several local healthcare organizations, including Cape Fear Valley Internal Medicine and Womack Army Medical Center, as well as Fayetteville State University and UNC-Pembroke.
If supporting the work of the CARE Clinic interests anyone, there are both medical and non-medical volunteer opportunities available year-round. Additional fundraisers that occur each year include: Toast of the Town, Holiday Card Sale, Charity Golf Tournament, and GivingTuesday.
For more information about the Week of CARE, go to thecareclinic.org or call 910-485-0555.

FSU launches first-ever Piano & Percussion Day

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Tuesday, 06 January 2026

Written by Sheila D. Barker

Fayetteville State University’s Department of Performing and Fine Arts is striking a new chord in arts education with the launch of its 1st FSU Piano and Percussion Day, taking place Saturday, Jan. 24, in the Rosenthal Building on campus. Building on more than a decade of successful Piano Days, this inaugural collaboration brings together the piano and percussion studios for a full day of music-making, learning, and community engagement.
The idea to merge the two disciplines emerged after a milestone moment for the program.
“In 2024, we hosted the 10th edition of FSU Piano Day,” explained Dr. Amanda Virelles, Professor of Music and director of the program. “After that milestone, we decided to place the program on a one-year pause in order to give other schools in the area an opportunity to host a similar event.”
That pause led to Sandhills Community College hosting its first Piano Day in April 2025, an experience that inspired FSU to reimagine its own offering rather than compete with neighboring institutions.
“Since we didn’t want to conflict with their event, we decided to redesign our program at FSU to offer a fresh perspective by introducing a new element—combining the piano and percussion studios,” said Virelles. The pairing is both innovative and intuitive. “Combining piano and percussion felt like a natural choice, as the piano is, in part, a percussion instrument.”
This first-ever Piano and Percussion Day represents an important step forward for FSU’s music program. According to Virelles, it creates opportunities for students “to engage and collaborate with other disciplines, understand the mechanics and particularities of our instruments, engage in networking, watch the performance and collaboration initiatives of the FSU faculty, and expand their knowledge and repertoire.”
The event also builds on the legacy of previous FSU Piano Days. When the program began in 2014, participation was modest, but its long-term impact has been profound. “The students who attended that first event are now college graduates, and some have even returned with their own students,” Virelles noted. “As a professor, it is deeply encouraging to see that this program has taken root in the community and continues to grow.”
Attendees can expect a full, engaging schedule modeled after earlier Piano Days. The day will begin with a faculty performance, followed by piano and percussion master classes, a lunch break, an afternoon presentation, additional classes, and a student performance to close the event. Students participating in master classes will perform repertoire selected by their instructors, and all registered students will have the opportunity to perform in the student concert.
Faculty and clinicians include Dr. Amanda Virelles, Professor of Piano, FSU; Dr. Joseph Spearman, Assistant Professor of Percussion, FSU; Dr. Kristina Henckel, Associate Professor of Music at Sandhills Community College and lecturer at FSU; and Dr. Daniel McCloud, percussionist and Arts Coordinator for Cumberland County Schools.
“We begin with a faculty performance to give students the opportunity to hear the clinicians who will be teaching master classes later in the day,” Virelles explained. “This opening concert helps motivate the students and ‘break the ice.’”
Beyond performance, the event emphasizes professional development. Students gain experience in networking, collaboration, teaching strategies, and event organization while learning about the realities of careers in music performance and education. FSU students also play a key role behind the scenes, assisting with registration, guiding guests, and providing technical support.
For the wider community, Piano and Percussion Day is a chance to see the breadth of FSU’s arts offerings.
“So many times, I have heard the comment, ‘I didn’t know you had a music program at FSU,’” said Virelles. “We want to inform the community about the possibilities of a career in the arts and the quality of education our students receive.”
The event is free and open to the public, though advance registration is required. Whether seasoned performers or curious beginners, all are welcome. As Virelles put it, “Don’t be discouraged—come with open minds and ears and be ready to learn.”
FSU's Piano and Percussion Day will take place on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1200 Murchison Rd. For registration and more information, visit: https://tinyurl.com/yjv462pe.

Mid-Carolina Senior Games encourages fitness, fellowship

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Tuesday, 06 January 2026

Written by Anna White

Through ups and downs, the Mid-Carolina Senior Games always come back strong, just like its competitors. Now entering its 40th year, they’ve seen sparse seasons, including one year during the COVID-19 pandemic with only 50 participants. Last year, the total number of participants surged to nearly 400. This year, they hope to top that number by registering 500 competitors.
The resurgence is encouraging. The Mid-Carolina Senior Games are about more than competition. While the month of April will feature over 30 events across categories like power walking, pickleball, table tennis, swimming, cornhole, disc golf, arts performances, and more, Lashonda Gough, Mid-Carolina Regional Council health promotions coordinator, says they see a growing community impact surrounding the event.
“We see participants return year after year. We are also starting to see intergenerational growth as the sons and daughters of our elder participants are aging into the games. We have seniors who have never played certain sports try them and fall in love. We have seen seniors come back strong after injuries and illnesses. We have also seen lifelong friendships form through participating in the games or SilverArts,” she shared.
Participation is encouraged for all ability levels. Seniors 50 years and older, whether first-timers or seasoned, can pick a category that works for them. While some competitors have their sights set on progressing to the state or regional competitions, others' ambitions lie closer to home. In both cases, the goal is to “celebrate 40 years of Bodies in Motion & Hearts in Art,” according to a press release.
“We want to keep everybody moving and change the way we view age,” Gough explained. “People think they have to be a pro, they don’t,” she said emphatically. She believes seniors already have the skill within them to be part of the Games, it’s just a matter of not letting age stop them and finding the right fit.
In addition to the month-long lineup of athletic events, the April 23rd Silver Arts Display will feature performances and submissions in categories across visual, heritage, literary, and performing arts. “That’s something I’m trying to draw more attention to,” Gough said of the Silver Arts Display. “We had more growth in that area last year and even created a website to display all the art that was submitted.” She says the website is a way for local artists to show off their art to friends and family long after the Mid-Carolina Senior Games are over.
Gough says opening day is the best way to learn more about the events. Opening day will be held at Methodist University Monarch Stadium and includes open registration, a torch lighting ceremony, a health and fitness fair, and more. Registration can be completed online, or for those who prefer in-person registration, Gough says to watch the Mid-Carolina Senior Games Facebook page, where they will publicize several on-location registration events prior to opening day.
“If you’ve never heard of the Senior Games, just come to our opening day,” Gough said. “You’ll get to see everybody, see what’s going on, and get a feel for what the Senior Games are. Just come out! You never know what could happen.”

(Photo: Harnett County Ambassador and participant Timothy Lloyd runs at Overhills High School during the 2024 Mid-Carolina Senior Games. Photo courtesy of Lashonda Gough)