CRANBERRY — About 50 blind and visually impaired children, ages 5 to 18, attended an ice hockey and skating event hosted Wednesday by VIP Sports and the Penguins Foundation at the Lemiuex Complex.

VIP Sports, a part of Slippery Rock University’s adaptive physical education program, is now in its 11th year of existence. It offers a wide variety of sporting events for adaptive kids: archery, biking, goalball, horseback riding, kayaking, rock climbing, soccer, swimming and track and field.

Wednesday, however, Wendy Fagan, an instructor in Slippery Rock’s adaptive physical education program and camp and clinic director of VIP Sports, with the help of the Penguins foundation, was able to add ice hockey to an already long list of specialized sports for the blind.

“(The Penguins Foundation) played a tremendous role in organizing the event,” Fagan said.

The campers arrived at 10 a.m., geared up and got on the ice — many for the very first time.

Slipping and sliding was done by many of skaters, but smiles were wide on the face of everyone involved in the event.

Fagan and VIP Sports are not just altering the life of kids in a positive way, they’re inspiring older folks as well.

Standing along the hockey boards today, listening to skaters whiz by, was a man named Frank Barnes.

With his guide dog by his side, Barnes had a wide grin on his face with the knowledge that the program is helping these visually disabled — something the program was able to do for him seven years before.

Eight years ago Barnes, lost his vision completely.

About a year later, Barnes was introduced to his neighbor, Fagan, who was in charge of VIP Sports. After getting involved in the program and taking it in, Barnes said he regained his vibrant attitude and learned he could be just like everybody else, even with a handicap.

With the help of VIP Sports, golfing and skiing once again became no problem for Barnes, who has nothing but praise for everyone involved.

“It’s an amazing program. Changed my life completely,” said Barnes, “I’m glad Wendy (Fagan)and VIP Sports can build confidence in these kids early and show them they can still do big things.”

After about an hour and a half of a free skate, lunch was served and in stepped Matt Morrow, Canadian Blind Hockey Association Executive Director.

Morrow explained about the sport of blind hockey throughout Canada. The biggest differences included the size of net — much smaller — and the size of pucks, which are much bigger, makes a rattling sound, and slides across the ice slower. In addition to the pucks and nets, players are positioned on the ice based on their level of vision.

Forwards and defenseman are deemed B1 and B2 players, meaning they have at least some type of vision. Goalies, on the other hand, have no vision whatsoever.

Following a complete and thorough explanation of blind hockey, Morrow said some campers he saw during the free skate had plenty of potential, and he wanted to see them in action on the ice.

A list of names was rattled off by him, as a set of drills would follow and eventually culminate into a scrimmage of sorts.

“The sport is rapidly growing in the states,” Morrow said. “We would like to have a Canada-versus-U.S. game in the future, but we need to continue growing. Today is a great way to help that process.”

Three blind hockey teams already exist in the U.S. — Chicago Blackhawks Blind Hockey Club, New York Nightshades, Washington Wheelers — and the hope is to add a team in Pittsburgh.

VIP Sports will continue its week-long blind and visually impaired camp through Friday. The remaining sports will be done on Slippery Rock’s campus.