The future of the Winthrop Rink is On Thin Ice. The facility's aging ice refrigeration plant needs replaced, and upgrades need made to the facility’s player and audience safety infrastructure.The overall project cost is $2.5 million, of which we've already raised $2 million through grants, donations, and the Rink's own savings reserves. We need your help to raise the remaining $500,000 through a public capital campaign.The Winthrop Rink is the only ice skating facility within a 100-mile radius in north central Washington State. On average, 15,000 people skate here per year, participating in youth and adult hockey, figure skating, learn-to-skate, and learn-to-play-hockey programs. And the Winthrop Rink’s bustling tournaments and special events calendar generates an estimated $1.8 million for the local economy.With your help, we can make sure the Winthrop Rink is a safe and fun ice skating facility for generations to come.

The Skate-A-Ton is a community-powered fundraiser supporting the Winthrop Rink’s On Thin Ice capital campaign and our youth programs. Every lap skated helps secure the future of our ice—ensuring kids have access to affordable skating, hockey, and life-building opportunities for generations to come.Event DetailsDate: Saturday, February 28, 2026Location: Winthrop RinkSkate Times:• 10U & Under: 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.• Over 10U: 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.• Prizes & Raffle Announcements: Immediately following skating.Each group will have one full hour on the ice to see how many laps they can skate. One lap takes approximately 15-30 seconds for a fast skater. 14 laps is approximately 1 mile.How Pledges WorkSkaters collect pledges from donors before the event. Donors can choose to give:• A flat donation, or• A per-lap donation based on how many laps the skater completes in one hourAny donors that pledge per lap, we need parents and skaters help to get the total pledge in. This is a great opportunity for skaters to have a fun conversation about the event and laps completed.

The Winthrop Rink is proud to be a community-funded, nonprofit organization. Since our founding, in 1999, we have relied on grassroots fundraising to run the Winthrop Rink. Donors literally make the Zamboni go around.Operating an outdoor ice rink is expensive: facility maintenance, upkeep of our ice-making equipment, utilities, and paying our seasonal and year-round staff. Because we are the lone ice rink within a 100-mile radius, located in one of the most economically disadvantaged counties in Washington, we work hard to offer our programming at affordable rates. To do so, we rely on donations to our Operating Fund to help cover the costs of running the Winthrop Rink, while also keeping rates low for local programming.This year, a local donor has pledged a $20,000 match to our Operating Fund if we can raise an additional $20,000 from community members by the end of the year. With your help, we believe we can hit that mark!