Rink of dreams: the on-ice death of 12-year-old Quinn Connally was an unimaginable nightmare for his family; yet drawing from that tragedy, the family has found the strength to build a lasting memorial honoring Quinn's love of the game - Quinn Connally Memorial Sports Facility

Hockey Digest, Summer, 2003 by Chuck O'Donnell

Despite the overwhelming kindness of the community, it wasn't always easy. Often tangled in red tape and mired in paperwork, there were times Stephen and Ann wanted to give up. But again, according to Stephen, Quinn's sister knew just what to say: "Tessa said, 'You guys have to do this. You have to see this through. It was Quinn's destiny that he died on December 4, 2000. Even if he wasn't at the hockey rink, even if he was some place else, he would have died. That was his destiny. And his love for hockey and what it did for him, your destiny is to see this through and make sure this rink is build. You can't quit now.'

"She was scolding us. She said, 'You're carrying on Quinn's legacy here. We want people to remember him. We want people to know who he was.'"

Tax-deductible donations for the Quinn Connally Memorial Sports Facility can be made to Quinn's Legacy Foundation Inc., c/o Berkshire Bank, 66 West St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. For more information, call (413) 743-7558 visit Quinn's Legacy on the Web at www.quinnslegacy.org.