It’s official—Bend is getting its first year-round ice rink, and the moment to help build it is here. The land is secured, the design is complete, and the community is carrying the project toward groundbreaking. Now anyone can donate to The Forge and claim a lasting stake in what comes next. This is Central Oregon’s chance to fund a debt-free home for ice, owned by the people who use it. Below is where the project stands, and how your gift moves it forward today.

Why Now Is the Moment to Give

Every project reaches a point where momentum decides the outcome, and The Forge has reached it. With a confirmed site in Northeast Bend and a finished design, the plan is real and ready to build. The renderings finally have a place to stand.

Our fundraiser has already raised $10 million toward a $40 million goal, roughly 25% of the way there. Several local families and businesses have already signed on as founding donors. Each gift brings groundbreaking closer and makes the next one easier to ask for.

A dollar given now does more than a dollar given later, because it keeps the schedule on track. Every month the funding gap lingers, families keep driving out of the region for consistent ice. When you give today, you help set the pace toward opening day.

How to Donate to The Forge

Giving has never been simpler. You can now donate to The Forge(opens in new tab) in just a few minutes through Zeffy, a secure nonprofit fundraising platform, and the process takes only a few minutes from start to finish. You can give any amount, choose a one-time gift or a recurring schedule, and receive a tax receipt for every contribution.

As a debt-free 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Forge directs every dollar toward land, construction, and facility buildout. Your gift is also tax-deductible(opens in new tab), since The Forge is a registered charitable organization. We share our progress in the open, and supporters receive regular updates as the build moves forward.

Give Once or Give Monthly

Flexibility makes it easy to find your level. Give any amount as a one-time gift, or set a recurring schedule that fits your rhythm: monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Small ongoing gifts add up fast across a community this size, and every contribution moves the project forward.

What Your Gift Builds

A donation to The Forge funds far more than a building. It funds year-round programs for the whole region, from learn-to-skate and youth hockey to figure skating, adult leagues, and public sessions. It funds two sheets of ice that stay dependable in July and January alike.

It also funds a model built to last. Because the community funds and owns The Forge, the priorities stay local: affordable ice, open access, and a genuine welcome for first-timers. Your gift becomes a permanent stake in a place designed to serve Central Oregon for generations.

Founding Donor Recognition

Early supporters help shape the story from the start, and every gift earns a lasting place in the building. Naming opportunities run across four tiers of forge-inspired partnership. Foundry Partners can put their name on the main spaces, from either rink to the entry plaza. Anvil Partners claim scoreboards, the VIP suite, locker rooms, and community rooms, while Steel Partners take penalty boxes, benches, and the bar’s entertainment wall.

Every level leaves a mark. Spark Partners join the Founders Wall and the founding roll, with engraved steel name blanks and interior donor plaques. These are the names woven into the building for good, celebrated by every family who walks through the doors.

Claim Your Place in the Story

The Forge is no longer a someday idea. A feasibility study, a market analysis, and an operational pro forma back the plan. A volunteer board with decades of coaching, building, and operating experience guides the work.

If you still have questions, our FAQ covers how funds are used and what happens next. Bend has waited years for year-round ice. Now you can help finish it. Donate to The Forge today(opens in new tab), and claim your place in a project built to last for generations.