Wheeling Nailers goalkeeper Taylor Gauthier and Easterseals client Emma Waldron formed a special bond through their participation in the annual Inclusion On Ice. (Photo provided)

WHEELING — It was at Inclusion on Ice two years ago when Wheeling resident Jessica Waldron realized her 8-year-old daughter, Emma, has a “need for speed.”

The inclusive skating event — slated for Feb. 8 this year — gave Emma the opportunity to glide across the ice, pushed by a Wheeling Nailers hockey player. The faster the better, according to Emma, who has cerebral palsy and walks with braces or uses a wheelchair or adaptive stroller to get around. Because Mom doesn’t skate, she likely never would have taken Emma skating.

Fast-forward to the 2025 Inclusion on Ice. Waldron took Emma to the ice and singled out Wheeling Nailers goaltender Taylor Gauthier to take control of her wheelchair.

“I handed her off to him and told him, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just have fun, and she’ll have a blast.'”

Gauthier said he didn’t know what to expect because it was his first time volunteering at Inclusion on Ice, but as he pushed Emma around and around the rink, the event’s significance crystallized.

“Early on, I was testing the waters. … I kept checking in with her to make sure she was having fun, and every time I looked, she just had the biggest smile on her face. That’s why we do it, you know, to bring joy to people’s lives,” Gauthier said in a Nailers interview with Jessica and Emma Waldron broadcast on Nailers TV Dec. 7.

Now 10, Emma, who recently began receiving speech therapy and physical therapy at Easterseals, said she’s excited to skate with Gauthier again at the fifth annual Inclusion on Ice from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at Wheeling Park Memorial Ice Rink. The free event is open to people of all ages and all abilities.

“This event ensures that individuals of all abilities have the opportunity to experience the joy, freedom and confidence that comes with ice skating — an activity that should be available to everyone,” Wheeling Park director Nat Goudy said.

“Inclusion on Ice also strengthens our community by bringing families, caregivers and participants together in a shared space of encouragement and celebration,” he added.

The free event is made possible by Encova Foundation of West Virginia, the Regional Economic Development Partnership, the Wheeling Park Commission and Oglebay Foundation. Additional sponsors include Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration, WesBanco and the city of Wheeling.

In addition to free skating and skate rental, participants can enjoy other free items and activities, including face painting, a selfie station, inflatables, hot chocolate, a donut and a sensory room.

Over 20 local businesses and organizations will offer information and free activities at the community resource fair in the White Palace.

“This event is a gift to our community from the organizers and our supporters,” Betsy Bethel-McFarland, Easterseals Rehabilitation Center marketing director, said. Easterseals is one of the organizers, along with Augusta Levy Behavioral Services, the Nailers and local author and disabilities advocate David George.

“Implementing an event of this magnitude helps produce the concept of coming together in the community with a real ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ kind of feeling, helping everyone understand that everyone needs to feel connected and loved,” George said, referring to the feel-good stories found in the “Chicken Soup” book series.

The event has grown from about 100 participants the first year to over 400 in 2025. It all started when George approached Easterseals and Augusta Levy with his love of hockey and desire to spread that love to everyone in the community, regardless of their abilities.

“We are so honored to collaborate in this joint effort to support individuals with disabilities,” Augusta Levy CEO Angie Wood said. “Our hope with Inclusion on Ice is to create equal opportunities for everyone to benefit from hockey’s positive impacts, help reduce stigma and strengthen Wheeling’s identity as a supportive place for all individuals to thrive.”

The Nailers jumped on the opportunity to get involved, Nailers community relations director D.J. Abisalih said. The organization considers Inclusion on Ice a top-tier community event. The lasting friendship between Gauthier and Emma is a prime example.

“It brings a smile to everyone’s face, seeing the friendship that Taylor Gauthier and the Waldron family have created, and it’s very special to think that it all started thanks to Inclusion on Ice. The Nailers organization is extremely proud to celebrate five years of one of the most impactful community events that the team supports,” Abisalih said.

Since last year’s Inclusion on Ice, Emma Waldron and her family, including mom, brother Hunter, 14, and dad Rob, often can be found cheering on the Nailers — and Gauthier, in particular — at WesBanco Arena. The goalie calls her his “number one fan.”

Gauthier said his experience with Emma “kind of changed my season (last year). That’s when I really found a new gear on the ice.” Emma was there when Gauthier had a shutout game, and he sought her out in the stands to present her his star puck.

“That meant a lot to me,” Emma said.

She keeps the puck on her desk in her bedroom. “All I see when I wake up is that hockey puck.”

Registration to attend Inclusion on Ice on Feb. 8 at Wheeling Park Ice Rink is encouraged but not required. For information, call 304-242-1390, or visit the Easterseals Facebook page or read the press release here.