Nonprofit brings veterans together for ice time, camaraderie

What started as a way to give back, has blossomed into a thriving local nonprofit organization.

After receiving services from Operation Homefront, a national organization providing relief and recurring support services to military families facing adversity, Tonya and Richard Watson realized they wanted to help others in a similar manner.

“Operation Homefront adopted us for Christmas that year, and they made a lot of wishes come true,” she said. “We wanted to give back in the same way.” From that desire Alaska Veteran Sports evolved. The organization has focused on providing ice time to veterans and active-duty service people through weekly skating and pick-up hockey games.

It was slow going at first. Eight players showed up for the first open skate in January 2023. But as word spread, numbers began to grow. By March that year, up to 30 were turning out. When the Mat-Su Health Foundation got involved by granting the organization funds to cover the expense of ice time that the Watsons had formerly paid for out of pocket, growth was “exponential”, Tonya said.

Around 200 people from all over the Valley and Anchorage now enjoy the program and the opportunity it provides to get together with others with similar experiences. But more people means increased expenses.

“The cost of ice time adds up,” she said. “The Mat-Su Health Foundation came to our rescue, and we’ve been eternally grateful since. Without the grant, we wouldn’t be able to keep going.”

Investing in community health and wellness has been part of the plan for the Mat-Su Health Foundation since 2007, when it became part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Since that time, the Health Foundation has returned more than $140 million of its share of hospital profits to the community, through scholarships, sponsorships, and grants to nonprofit organizations across the Valley.

2025 marked the third year that Alaska Veteran Sports received a Health Foundation grant. The $25,000 will cover ice time again, plus gear for new skaters who want to learn to play hockey, or for former players who no longer have their own gear.

Skate nights have expanded to twice weekly, too. And first responders are also included now.

“They’ve been through the same kinds of things,” Tonya said.

The pick-up games at each gathering are casual affairs without referees. Participants cover a wide range of ages, with the oldest skater being 76 and skating alongside children of veterans. It’s less about competition than just having fun and being together.

“It’s about bringing back the camaraderie that many of them miss when they get out of the service,” Tonya said. “It’s just a way to be together on the ice and be with people who have shared life experiences.” Despite the Watsons’ personal and financial commitment to Alaska Veteran Sports, Tonya said the program in its form today would not have been possible without outside assistance.

“The Mat-Su Health Foundation has been the key to keeping the program going,” she said. “Without them we would’ve had to shut down.”

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http://alaskaveteransports.org/