YAKIMA, Wash.- Hockey leagues, figure skating and public skating are at risk of leaving the Yakima Valley. After the owner of the Yakima Ice Rink died in December, the property is up for sale with the Yakima Amateur Hockey Association (YAHA) getting the first shot.
Chris Bartheld, YAHA’s president, says the family in charge of the property is motivated to sell, but rejected YAHA’s first offer. The association says the property has been for sale for years now, including a failed sale in 2021, so this didn’t catch them off guard.
“There have been for sale signs up so it’s always kinda been for sale,” said Bartheld at a meeting with the Ice Rink community. “A couple of months ago, Mr. Ted Pollock passed away and his family now is overseeing the sale of the properties, and they want to sell.”
According to YAHA, the family reached out first to provide a chance for hockey to stay in Yakima. After a rejected offer, the hockey community is scared of what could happen next.
“Our biggest fear is that somebody will want to come in and use the property for another purpose,” says Bartheld. “We’re looking at us being able to purchase the property so we can keep the rink open.”
Selling the rink to someone who doesn’t have hockey in mind would wipe out the only ice rink in the Yakima Valley and the history on the ice.
Originally built in the 1950s, many families have made the Yakima Ice Rink a tradition.
“Our entire family is a hockey family now,” says Michael Prado, a volunteer coach at the ice rink. “It’s probably our funnest thing to kind of come down here, support the kids, teaching these new kids how to skate.”
Finding out the news of an impending sale affected Prado who says he is still optimistic about keeping the rink with YAHA.
“We kind of got shaken up when we found out we could lose it, you know, because a lot of the parents, a lot of the coaches, we’re down here just to support the kids, just completely volunteering,” says Prado.
Bartheld says YAHA has long been preparing for a new facility. The current building shows its age with a clunky walkway entering the front doors. After ice-melting scares, the association has been scouting a new facility to call home.
“Coming up with plans to kick off a fundraising campaign for that and then we’ve been presented with this challenge, yeah we’re trying to navigate both at the same time,” says Bartheld.
The YAHA president splits his time as a schoolteacher, coach and father. While trying to preserve the rink he learned hockey on, he wants it to stick around for the future generations and his children who are currently playing.
“This place has been a part of me as long as I remember,” says Bartheld. “It’s fun as an adult now to give back to the kids in the community.”
Along with the children’s leagues, the adult hockey league would be at risk as this is the only rink in Yakima Valley. Without a rink, hockey players would have to travel.
“If hockey goes away, I mean, the next closest thing would be traveling to Tri-Cities, which I think some of the families just wouldn’t be able to do,” says Prado.
YAHA says the next offer is due to the property owner on February 21. To add onto the offer, Bartheld and the board are turning to its hockey community for help.
In what’s called “The First 50” fundraiser, donors who provide $1,000 will receive a permanent name display at the rink if the sale goes through. Bartheld says if the sale doesn’t happen, donors will have the choice of getting their money back or leaving it with YAHA to fund a future permanent home.
