After more than two decades of operating the successful VAL-
arena in North Apollo, Fred and Debra Knepshield get to finally hang up their roller skates. The skating rink, named after the first letters of Vandergrift, Apollo and Leechburg, has been an entertainment institution in the Alle-Kiski Valley for 
73 years.
VALarena rolls on with nearly $5,250 raised by community so it can reopen Friday triblive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from triblive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Louis B. Ruediger | Tribune-Review
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While the VALarena roller rink in North Apollo paused their reopening this month, some loyal customers have raised more than $3,200 to help the cash-strapped, nostalgic icon reopen.
For more than 70 years, generations have laced up for skating sessions in the cozy rink with the same snack bar that still draws a crowd.
Pandemic restrictions closed the rink’s doors about 10 months ago.
Working on building repairs and improvements at the rink, owners Fred and Debra Knepshield of Kiski Township didn’t reopen in January as they had planned.