Our Story
Rink of Dreams.
The Berkshire Hockey Foundation was born from a simple belief: hockey is more than a game. It's a source of community, belonging, and opportunity that everyone deserves to experience, regardless of their financial circumstances.
How It Started
A Frozen Pond and A Dream.
Growing up on the frozen edge of Lake Buel, Alex Regen remembers his father lacing up his skates, the sharp bite of winter air, and the sound of pucks and blades as his dad ran him and his brother through drills. That childhood mix of family, winter in the woods, and the pure joy of playing hockey has stayed with him ever since.
Today, Alex has transformed that memory into a broader effort to expand access to hockey and skating throughout the Berkshires. As Founder and President of the Berkshire Hockey Foundation, he leads the nonprofit behind the Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic and a growing range of community skating initiatives.
The foundation was built on a simple belief that the sport's power to bring people together, the discipline, the friendship and the sense of belonging that Alex found through hockey should be available to every kid in Berkshire County, regardless of what their family can afford.
Our Mission
Berkshire Hockey Foundation uses the game of hockey to bring people together, expand access to the sport, and build more inclusive and connected communities.
Hockey is the vehicle. Community is the destination.
Bring Together
Creating shared experiences that unite people across backgrounds, ages, and skill levels.
Expand Access
Removing financial and logistical barriers so more people can experience the joy of hockey.
Build Community
Strengthening the social fabric of the Berkshires through sport, competition, and camaraderie.
Our Flagship Project
The Wahconah Park Rink.
The centerpiece of our work is the refrigerated outdoor rink at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, MA — the first of its kind in Berkshire County. Made possible by $260,000 raised from our donors and partners, the rink gives the entire community a place to skate, play, and connect from December through March.
Board of Directors
The People Behind the Mission.
Alex Regen
Founder & President
Alex founded the Berkshire Hockey Foundation and the Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic, and is the driving force behind the refrigerated outdoor rink at historic Wahconah Park in Pittsfield. An entrepreneur and co-founder of Kippy's Superfoods, he has built brands and experiences that bring people together across the country. He also serves as a guest lecturer at Columbia University.
Ari Zorn
Board Member
Ari is an entrepreneur and community builder rooted in the Berkshires. He is co-owner of Devine, a retail cannabis dispensary in Egremont, and founder of Zorn Core Fitness. A dedicated civic voice, Ari serves as Vice President of the Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation, Vice Chair of the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project, a board member of 1Berkshire, and Founder of Friends Of Smiley's Pond environmental conservation.
Mark Pasquariello
Board Member
Mark graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1985 with a degree in mechanical engineering before earning his J.D. from Vermont Law School in 1989. He practiced law in Berkshire County for approximately 27 years — serving as an assistant district attorney, clerking at the state and federal levels, and running his own general practice. In 2017 he was appointed to the District Court bench and currently serves as a Trial Court Judge in the Northern Berkshire and Pittsfield District Courts. He lives in Windsor, MA.
Get Involved
Be Part of the Story.
Whether you donate, volunteer, or just show up to cheer — every bit of support keeps the ice open and the mission alive.