Geneseo and the Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena is a top 10 finalist for the title of "Kraft Hockeyville USA 2017."
Now in its third year, the contest seeks to determine the top hockey community in the country. The grand prize includes $150,000 in arena upgrades and a chance to host a pre-season NHL game in the fall that will be televised live on NBCSN.
Voting for round 1 runs now through midnight Thursday, April 13. You can vote online, or via text and text and Twitter. The four highest vote-getting rinks will advance.
“The Ira” as the campus rink is called, has a 2,500 seating capacity and is home to the Geneseo men's ice hockey team and also to Geneseo Finger Lakes Youth Hockey, which uses more than 30 hours of ice time on a weekly basis.
Almost 1,300 local rinks across the country were nominated, which is a partnership among Kraft Heinz, the National Hockey League, the NHL Players' Association, NBC Sports Group and USA Hockey.
As a 10 finalist, Geneseo will receive funding for upgrades: Each of the 10 finalists will be awarded funds for arena upgrades from Kraft Heinz, with $10,000 going to six second-prize winners, $25,000 for a pair of first prizes and $75,000 for the runner-up.
Round 1 voting ends April 13 at 11:59 p.m. EST. There are three ways to vote:
- Visit www.KraftHockeyville.com — follow instructions to vote (50 Times Per Day)
- Text "IraNY" to 35350 (50 Times Per Day)
- Visit www.KraftHockeyville.com — follow instructions to vote via Twitter (once per day)