DELAWARE- A new nonprofit is working to bring ice sports back to Kent and Sussex counties after the Delaware State Fair shut down the region’s only indoor rink this year.
For more than 20 years, the seasonal ice rink inside the 4-H/FFA Building in Harrington served as the only option for ice hockey, figure skating and public skating in mid-Delaware. But now, with the closure, families in central and southern Delaware are left without a local option.
Wayne Evans, a Miracle Ice board member and founder of the Generals youth hockey program, said the closure of the Harrington rink has displaced the community.
“There are several families, probably more than 100, whose children are no longer able to play hockey or figure skate or even have the opportunity to get on the ice at all,” Evans said.
Miracle Ice Arena, a newly formed 501(c)(3) nonprofit, plans to change that by building a state-of-the-art, two-sheet indoor ice facility in southern Delaware, possibly Georgetown. The group’s goal is to open the first rink by fall 2026.
"This isn’t just about building a rink—it’s about rebuilding a community," the group said on their website.
Miracle Ice Arena’s plans include full-travel and in-house youth hockey, figure skating, learn-to-skate programs, public skating, private rentals and eventually curling. The group said the facility would serve people in both Kent and Sussex counties who currently have to travel to northern Delaware or Maryland to find ice time.
The effort to fund and build the arena is currently underway, with organizers seeking donations on a site started by Milton local, Christopher Steele. As of the morning of Sept. 9, the fundraiser has reached $245. The organization said it purchased the Harrington rink’s equipment, which is now stored in four containers at the Delaware State Fairgrounds.
The project already has commitments from regional and national partners, including Salisbury University, the USA Warriors Ice Hockey program for veterans, Generals Hockey, and Havoc Ice Hockey, which runs high school and middle school teams.