Some 200 children from Houston’s Third Ward and surrounding areas will enjoy holiday fun on ice for the 4nd annual Year Of Joy Holiday Ice Skating Party at the ICE powered by Green Mountain Energy at Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney, 4-6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9. The event is being held in partnership with Discovery Green and will include students from Peck, Lockhart and Blackshear Elementary Schools, Hype Freedom School powered by My Brother’s Keeper Houston, Southside Community Center and Madison High School.

The ice rink, managed by Ice Rink Events, is generously opening an hour early and sponsoring admission and skate rental for the children. H-E-B is the event’s title sponsor. Russo’s New York Pizzeria Downtown is donating pizza for the children again this year, and CSI is again providing free roundtrip transportation for the elementary school students.

On ice performances include Houston-native sisters Robyn and Reagan Leggington, who take lessons at the ICE at the Galleria, and Galleria skating instructor Dayyanah Coleman, a Haitian native who started ice skating as an adult. Cortlandt Elise Barrett, a freshman at HSPVA, will sing holiday songs. Also, Miss Houston Cassidy Scott, Miss Harris County Madison Lamont and Miss Sugar Land Ashley Stafford and Santa Claus, of course, will be on ice to join the children for some on ice fun. The Texas Southern University Homecoming King and Queen and their Royal Court will also join the merriment.

Other companies and donors providing financial and in-kind support include alliantgroup, KRIV Fox 26, Houston Chronicle, Ellie Francisco of Francisco and Co., Sue Smith, Deneice Leigh of Anime Matsuri, and Mandy Kao along with more than 50 volunteers.

The Year of Joy Holiday Ice Skating Party was started in December 2016 by Houston Chronicle fashion and beauty editor Joy Sewing, who became Houston’s first African American figure-skating coach while in college. It’s part of Year of Joy, her personal journey to live a more joyful life and spread joy to children from underserved communities. Year of Joy is now a 501c3 non-profit organization.

A 2017 Houston Humanitarian award recipient, Sewing also is author of the children’s book, “Ava and the Prince: The Adventures of Two Rescue Pups.” Her book, which is also part of Year of Joy, has been selected by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation for its home-library program.

Every child participating in the skating party will receive a goodie bag of toys and holiday treats and a pair of FishFlops by local designer Madison Nicole Robinson, who started her company at age 8.