Summer Ice is a fundraising campaign offered by the Gallatin Ice Foundation (GIF) and the Bozeman Amateur Hockey Association (BAHA). The goal is to raise $300,000 in additional funding by July 1st, 2021 and finish construction of a year-round ice facility by August 15th, 2021. GIF is reaching out to the Bozeman community to help make this dream a reality. The Gallatin Ice rink is managed as a non-profit and does not receive any annual support for operations from the City of Bozeman or Gallatin County. Both the City and the County have helped with past phases of construction; however, this project is up to Gallatin Ice and the residents of Bozeman to finish. The building is located at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds next to the Haynes Pavilion and is currently an uninsulated metal building that gets very hot during the summer. That means that currently, the Ressler Motors Ice Rink inside can only operate 7 months of the year. The finished Summer Ice project will extend the ice season by 4 additional months and will be available in the Summer of 2022. Imagine going to the Farmer’s Market at the Haynes Pavilion on a hot summer day and then going for a quick skate next door in the cool air of an ice rink. It’s going to be awesome!

Fundraising dollars will be used to build a permanent roof system, insulate the entire building, add ductwork, and connect a critical dehumidification system to the facility. With these enhancements, Bozeman will have a year-round ice facility for the future. Local youth hockey and figure skating families will be able to stay here in Bozeman instead of traveling to Kalispell or Salt Lake City to train during the summer. Additional “Friday Night Teen Skates,” public skating, ice shows, and more tournaments will be offered during the summer months as a “cool” way to escape the heat.

It is important to have a year-round ice facility because it allows the Bozeman Ice Community to grow year-round. Aside from youth programs, the Bozeman Ice Dogs Junior Hockey team, the MSU Hockey teams, and the Bozeman Stingers will all take advantage of an extended season. Regional College Showcases and exhibition hockey games will be added as demand grows. “Community should not be seasonal,” says Jeffrey Moore, Philanthropy Director for Gallatin Ice. “It is critical for youth programming to have access to ice year-round so they can develop. This project will reach that dream. It is important.”

Aside from the rink and its users, local retailers, restaurants, and hotels will realize additional revenue from visiting players, skaters, coaches, referees, judges, parents, and trainers. A single tournament or youth development camp may bring as many as 200 families to Bozeman - all of whom will need food, hotel rooms, retail purchases, and other recreation. Currently, the rink sees about 150,000 annual visitors. With Summer Ice, that number is expected to increase to over 200,000.

If this sounds interesting to you, it is easy to make a donation to Summer Ice 2021 by going to Gallatinice.org/summer-ice and clicking on the “Donate” button. Gallatin Ice is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit and all cash donations are tax-deductible. Help GIF and BAHA reach their goal and make a wonderful family and youth resource for Bozeman permanent and year-round.

For more information: Jeffrey E. Moore, 406-223-5885, jmoore@gallatinice.org