A massive fundraising campaign to renovate and reconstruct the Sidner Ice Arena at the Fremont Family YMCA kicked off on Nov. 28 with the goal of raising $2 million to save the iconic 20-year-old hockey and ice skating venue.
Lindy Hoyer, CEO of the Fremont Family YMCA, said the organization was unable to fund the estimated $2 million in costs to repair the ice skating rink while also making needed repairs and upgrades to other elements and areas of the entire YMCA facility.
The Fremont Family YMCA is already planning for new amenities, such as an off-site campground, assorted facilities improvements, an entire new line of upgraded and modern cardio exercise equipment as well as constructing a new, state-of-the-art wellness center.
With those financial realities in mind, Hoyer said she and members of the Y’s Board of Directors decided partnering with an outside entity was the best way to save the ice skating facility that first opened in April 2004.
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Now, under an agreement with local ice hockey coach Kent Johnson, the Sidner Ice Arena will be fully repaired in the coming months, but will remain under the Fremont Family YMCA’s ownership. Through the agreement, all operations and management of the massive facility will be taken over by Johnson’s company, SETT LLC.
Johnson, in collaboration with the Fremont Ice Association, plans to raise the needed $2 million to totally replace the entire ice rink — building a smaller, NHL-sized rink that will have a concrete foundation under the ice rather than the sand that is currently used. There are several other elements of the rink that also need to be replaced, such as cooling systems, piping and the dehumidifier to keep the facility at the correct temperature and humidity.
“The Y is currently the operator, but the Y has a significant number of maintenance issues we are facing,” Hoyer said. “The Y will still retain ownership, but the SETT firm will be the operator. The intent is the arena will stay open through the end of the Midland and youth ice hockey seasons, which normally end in March or April.”
Once the ice hockey season ends, the goal would be for construction to begin as soon as possible so that all the repairs needed can be done over spring and summer, when the rink is used much less than in the winter months.
Johnson, a coach himself whose two sons play on two Fremont Flyers youth ice hockey teams, said he and others involved with the local ice hockey scene had noticed in January 2023 that the ice rink was in the final stages of its life after 20 years of intense use.
“We’ve known for years there have been problems with the ice. It kind of came to a head this year,” Johnson said. “That was in January, then in August the Y had done an assessment of the rink and there were concerns about its future. At that point, I said, if you need someone to step up, I’ll do it. Under the plan, The Y will own it and lease it and we’ll be the operator.”
The facility is used by a wide range of groups, including both the Midland University men’s and women’s ice hockey teams, numerous teams affiliated with the Fremont Flyers and the Fremont Ice Association and via an educational partnership with the Fremont Public Schools and the YMCA that teach second graders how to ice skate in an annual program.
The ice skating facility was constructed in large part with the assistance of the Sidner family, its namesake, who Hoyer said “are very passionate about ice skating.”
Fundraising for the upgrades began on Nov. 28 via the website fundtherink.org. In little more than a week of fundraising, $125,000 has already been raised from generous donors, Johnson said. All funds will be filtered through the Fremont Ice Association, a 501©3 nonprofit organization.
“The goal is $2 million. The Fremont Ice Association is the platform that all fundraising will go through,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to get half of the total funds needed by the end of February. The first week has been a great start. All of the money raised will go directly to the ice rink.”
If all goes as hoped, then the construction will be completed by the end of August 2024, and the ice rink can re-open for its annual season of competitive action and fun, Johnson said.
He has no intention of turning the operation of the facility into his full-time job, and that he will retain the current manager — Angie Wyle — as well as her entire staff to run the day-to-day operation.
“The goal is to keep the employees, keep the ice rink, and hopefully, it will be there another 50 years,” Johnson said.
In a press release issued by the YMCA, Todd Seawall, Fremont Family YMCA’s Chief Volunteer Officer, expressed his gratitude for the efforts of Johnson and others to save the ice rink.
“The Fremont Family YMCA Board of Directors is grateful that an outside operator has come forward to ensure the safe and educational experience of ice skating, hockey and ice athletics remain strong in the Fremont community,” Seawall said in the release.
Hoyer said the collaborative efforts between the Fremont Ice Association, Johnson’s company SETT, and other partners such as the Midland University ice hockey programs were key to keeping the facility open through the end of the current season and ensuring Fremont has an ice rink for decades to come.
“We ended up with a very good solution to a very big problem,” Hoyer said. “The Y is very grateful that Kent and his LLC stepped up. This is a really positive think for the community.”