Dear Houston Ice Sports Community,

More than 9,000 people signed the petition to Save Memorial Ice Rink. That extraordinary response helped inspire the formation of Houston Ice Sports Coalition (HISC), a Texas nonprofit formed by volunteers who believe our growing city deserves a permanent home for ice sports.

Now, we are working to turn that shared vision into a viable community project, and we invite you to be a part of it. HISC is in its developmental phase for the construction of a new ice facility to serve hockey, figure skating, public skating, sled hockey, curling, and other ice sports. Presently, the Houston metropolitan area has only four facilities that provide a total of 5 sheets of ice for the community's 7.9 million Greater Houston residents. This has resulted in a massive lack of availability for the largest community in the state of Texas to provide for the health and welfare of its citizens with ice related sports and physical activities.

Why a Nonprofit?

Houston’s ice community has long been served by dedicated rink owners and operators, that will remain essential partners in the growth of ice sports for Houston. Ice is demanding to build and operate, and rinks run on tight margins. A nonprofit can complement that work. Because HISC is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, with no owners or investors to return profits to, it can operate on thinner margins and keep its focus on the community it serves. That means keeping ice time accessible for families, schools, and clubs, and making room for educational and community programs like learn-to-to-skate, adaptive and sled hockey, curling, and youth development. Our aim is a facility that serves Houston for generations, not just the next few seasons. HISC’s goal is not to replace what exists, but to add to it, so that every rink in Houston has a stronger community around it.

Our Mission

HISC's mission is to increase access to amateur ice sports and recreational opportunities by supporting the development of community ice facilities, educational programming, athlete development, and partnerships that promote lifelong participation in ice sports. We are organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. We want to expand access to ice sports for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities through community health and wellness initiatives, youth development, educational opportunities, adaptive programs, and a facility designed to serve the broader Houston community.

From Vision to Action

Over the past several months, HISC has been meeting with City and County officials, private companies, community leaders, and potential partners to explore locations, funding opportunities, and public-private partnerships. The growing interest in bringing NHL hockey to Houston has also helped draw attention to a broader issue:  our region needs more ice capacity to serve its existing athletes, families, and recreational skaters, as well as future demand.

These conversations have been encouraging and helped us identify an important next step. Before investing in our vision, major partners need to see a professional, well-supported proposal they can evaluate.

Wherever you are, you have a place in this effort, and each stage builds on the last.

Our First Community Campaign: Building the Foundation

Before we can secure a permanent location, an organization has to be built. To date, our founding Board Members have funded initial startup expenses.  Ultimately we are seeking large donors that understand the importance of this project for our city and our community.

We expect this will be a journey and now we’re asking you, our community, to help us reach our initial goal of $50,000. These funds cover the essentials of running HISC: legal costs, annual IRS filings, accounting, website, IT infrastructure, donor communications, and outreach campaigns.  Just as important, every gift is proof of support.  Major donors and partners want to see that Houston’s ice community is behind this effort before they commit, and your gift is how we show them. 

With that foundation in place, we will seek larger gifts from anchor donors and partners to fund professional fundraising, architectural concepts, preliminary engineering, site evaluation, and feasibility studies.

Every Gift Matters, Whatever its Size

Gifts from skaters, parents, coaches, and neighbors show that this is a real movement, and that momentum opens doors with larger partners.  Gifts from individuals, families, clubs, and local businesses fund the founding work of HISC and help us reach the milestones that give others the confidence to join in. Gifts from individuals, businesses, and community organizations move us from planning toward action, expanding our reach and strengthening our partnerships.  A permanent location will ultimately depend on a small number of large, catalytic gifts and possibly, state and government support. We are reaching out to philanthropic leaders, businesses, and foundations in Houston and the surrounding area, along with government officials and organizational partners.

 Important Tax Information

HISC is a Texas nonprofit corporation, and we are in the process of applying to the IRS for recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Until the IRS recognizes HISC as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, your gift is not tax deductible.

The IRS allows a new organization that files its application within 27 months of its formation to have its approval apply retroactively to the date it was formed. If the IRS approves us, gifts made during the pending period may become deductible for donors who itemize. We can’t promise approval or a timeline, so please don’t give in reliance on a future deduction. If you need a deduction this tax year, please wait until we receive our determination letter. We will email all donors when we hear from the IRS.

A Long-Term Vision, Built Together
Developing a permanent ice facility is a substantial undertaking. Our immediate goal is to pursue one permanent facility in a central location that serves the displaced ice sports community and the broader Houston region. We will evaluate different development and operating models and pursue the approach that best serves the community, while remaining open to future opportunities for additional facilities. 

HISC is led by volunteers from Houston’s hockey and figure skating communities, with experience spanning business, finance, operations, development, real estate, law, and community engagement.

Stronger Together

HISC is a collaborative 100% volunteer organization that believes the ice community is stronger when its clubs, rinks, and programs are stronger.  We want to work alongside the organizations that have supported our sports for decades, including Memorial Figure Skating Club of Houston, Texas Gulf Coast Figure Skating Club, The Skating Club of Houston, Houston Ice Theater Skaters, STARskaters, Curling Club of Houston, Hockey Day in Houston, Houston Hockey Community, Women's Hockey Outreach Association of Houston, Houston Amateur Hockey Association, Interscholastic Hockey Association, Houston Jr. Aeros, Rice Hockey Club, Rice University Figure Skating Club, and University of Houston Ice Hockey Club, and the rinks that host and support them, such as Bellerive Ice Center, Aerodrome Ice Skating Complex, Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center and Deep South Sports.  If we missed anyone, it is by oversight, and not intentional.

Our goal is not to compete with these organizations, but to expand opportunities for the entire Houston ice sports community.

Join Us
If you believe Houston deserves ice of its own, we invite you to contribute to our initial $50,000 community fundraising goal, share our story, and connect us with others who may want to help. To learn more or get involved, visit houstonisc.org.

Thank you for believing in the future of ice sports in Houston.

With gratitude,

The Board of Directors, HISC