Love & Skating

A woman’s love for figure skating and her husband’s wish to honour her memory continues to make a difference in the lives of young skaters at Medicine Hat Skating Club (MHSC).

 

Allen and Lorna Decima were married for 53 years and lived briefly in Medicine Hat years ago before returning to the community later in life. Lorna passed in 2015, leaving Allen searching for ways to honour her memory and keep her spirit alive.

 

Although Lorna herself was not a skater, Allen remembered how much she loved making skating outfits for her younger sister and watching the sport that gave her so much joy. If there was a skating event on television, you could be guaranteed Lorna would be tuned in to the competition. 

 

In 2016, Allen made a donation to MHSC that enabled the purchase of a harness for the club, providing a safe and effective way for skaters to learn and perfect their jumping technique. At that time, the Lorna Decima Memorial Award was also established, recognizing a deserving skater each year in his wife’s memory. In September 2022, Allen reached out again with an offer of support. After two years of managing club operations within pandemic restrictions, his generosity allows MHSC to rebuild programming and support skaters for years to come. 

 

Medicine Hat Skating Club is forever grateful for the generosity of Allen Decima and honoured to keep Lorna’s spirit alive through the sport of skating