“Ice Gala” in Idaho Falls Fundraises for Local Hockey Organizations

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Ice skating and ice hockey are two of the world's lesser known sports, however there are clubs providing athletes the opportunity to play them right here in Idaho Falls. Expenses for ice time are steep, with tonight's "Ice Gala" serving as a fundraiser for the Idaho Falls Figure Skating as well as the Snake River Youth Hockey Association.

The masquerade-themed ball was held at the Elks Lodge in Idaho Falls. The goal is to keep the sports affordable for local families.

"I think that what a lot of people don't realize is when you have an athlete in a sport like this, you're not just paying for your kid's time on the ice," said Sydnee Nethery with Idaho Falls Figure Skating. "The organizations have to meet anywhere from $215 to $300 every hour that they're on the ice. And so that adds up weekly to thousands between the two organizations."

They like to provide athletes with training opportunities, even bringing in Olympians. In order to continue these programs and allow competition at larger tournaments, the clubs host events like the Ice Gala to fundraise.

"We would love to be able to have an ice rink that has ice year round in this area. There's one in Rexburg but we'd like one in Idaho Falls," said Darby Heyrend with Snake River Youth Hockey Association. "Our mission is just to keep the kids on the ice and out of trouble, keep them interested in sports and keep life positive for them."

For the young athletes within these programs, it's about more than honing their craft and competing with passion.

"I think that between the two organizations, they learn so much more than just how to play hockey or figure skate through working with a team," Nethery added. "You learn accountability and learn responsibility, things like that. For the figure skaters, they learn all the performance skills that will carry them through one day leading a meeting in a boardroom or being able to connect themselves in a way that represents them and their organization really well. So the lessons they learn go far beyond the ice, and that's what's really important."

To donate to Idaho Falls Figure Skating, you can visit https://www.idahofallsfsc.org/.

To donate to Snake River Youth Hockey Association, you can visit https://www.yetishockey.com/.