The nonprofit, which was founded in 2021 with the goal of making the city more attractive, has a fundraising goal of $250,000 for the project. That money will cover the purchase of a mobile, handicap-accessible 50- by 100-foot skating rink; lighting; digging to access electricity; installation of the rink by company Iron Sleek; purchase of a container to store the materials in the off months; and other necessities to bring the rink to Esky.

The first $100,000 has already been obtained, and now, the organization and public has until June 1 to raise $75,000, at which point the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will match it witch a $75,000 grant through its Public Spaces, Community Places program.

The fundraiser is live now at patronicity.com/icerink.

The ice rink idea started a couple years ago. Though the city once hosted multiple neighborhood ice rinks, they were closed years ago. One that had been operating outside the Civic Center wasn’t worth trying to keep up as weather fluctuations made for only a short spell of usability or none at all.

Ice skating in Royce Park years ago was a winter activity many people from Escanaba and nearby areas enjoyed. (Photo courtesy of Delta County Historical Society)

The memories of rinks at Royce Park and on Stephenson Avenue imparted nostalia on longtime Escanaba residents, Enhance Escanaba President Karen Moore said, and she hopes that enough people want to help locals create newer Escanaba ice-skating stories.

Though the model already reserved from supplier Iron Sleek, a company based in Illinois, will be just 50 by 100 feet, the style allows for additions to enlarge it if people desire and raise money for an expansion in the future. The refrigerated rink will be usable in temperatures under 50 degrees, at which point glycol chillers freeze the surface. Under 20 degrees, the unit would not use electricity.

In June 2024, the City of Escanaba granted permission to Enhance Escanaba to continue with their plan and place the ice rink on city property — provided that the group, not the city, funds the initial purchase and installation.

“When this is accomplished, then we are going to gift it to the city, so the the city will be responsible for running it and taking care of it,” Moore explained. “…When the manufacturer comes here, when we get the rink, they (Iron Sleek) will have a crew and train Public Works how to put it together, how to take it apart, how to store it.”

The current plan is for the unit to be set up between the Karas Bandshell and the tennis courts.

This QR code directs to the page where donations from the public are matched by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for the acquisition and installation of a handicap-accessible ice rink in Escanaba.

Moore said that the Escanaba rink would be a first in a few ways:

“We’re going to be the only one in the entire up that has an outdoor refrigerated ice rink. There’s indoor ones,” she said.

One major detail is that the rink and nearby facilities — parking lot, washroom — will be ADA-compliant. It’ll be the first wheelchair-accessible rink Iron Sleek has built.

Enhance Escanaba has communicated with Superior Alliance for Independent Living (SAIL) about how to make the rink accessible for people with a range of disabilities. Some folks in Marquette who play sled hockey are reportedly looking forward to being able to come to Escanaba to play.

“So that’s going to bring people here,” Moore said, noting that this project will help the nonprofit’s mission of improving the city to make it appealing to both residents and visitors.

Though some people have asked whether there would be a warming shelter, the answer to that question is, “not yet.”

There are visions for the future that could occur after the rink is installed. One idea Moore suggested was for a winter carnival centered around the park.

The Patronicity fundraiser will be online until June 1. It kicked off on April 27, after Enhance Escanaba raised the first $100,000 from private donors before going public.

People are reminded that whatever they donate through Patronicity will be doubled, as MEDC has agreed to match the money raised. $75,000 worth of donations will result in the final $150,000 needed to bring the rink to Ludington Park. It could be installed this fall if the goal is reached.

To learn more about Enhance Escanaba and their past projects, people may visit enhanceescanaba.org. The rink manufacturer’s site is ironsleek.com. The fundraiser is at patronicity.com/icerink.