MORE THAN ICE: It's CommunitY
Join Piscataquis Forward on our mission to operate the Piscataquis County Ice Arena, located in Dover-Foxcroft, Piscataquis County, Maine
Capital Campaign Goal: $500,000
The Opportunity
In the heart of Maine’s Piscataquis County — one of the most rural and economically challenged counties in New England — stands a community institution that quietly anchors the lives of hundreds of families, young athletes, and neighbors. The Piscataquis County Ice Arena (PCIA) in Dover-Foxcroft is the only indoor ice facility serving the county, a region the size of Connecticut. Since opening, it has become the recreational and social heart of a community that had long gone without one.
Today, that institution is at risk of permanent closure. Without new stewardship and meaningful capital investment, the Arena — and everything it represents for the youth, families, and schools of Piscataquis County — may be lost. Piscataquis Forward, a newly formed 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has stepped forward to prevent that outcome. To do so, Piscataquis Forward must raise $500,000 — funds that will ensure the Arena’s survival, address needed improvements, sustain and expand programming, and unlock a transformative goal: year-round ice.
The Place: Dover-Foxcroft and Piscataquis County
Piscataquis County is home to roughly 17,000 people spread across thousands of square miles of forest, lakes, and small towns. Dover-Foxcroft, the county seat, anchors a region more familiar with long winters than with the recreational infrastructure that helps families and young people thrive through them. The nearest comparable ice facility is an hour away — a distance that, for many families here, is effectively insurmountable.
This is not a story of poverty or decline, however. It is a story of resilience and momentum. Dover-Foxcroft has in recent years seen the redevelopment of The Mill on the Piscataquis River, the opening of new local businesses, a wave of younger families choosing to plant roots here, and a growing civic infrastructure — including organizations like Piscataquis Forward — committed to making the county a place where people choose to stay and build their lives.
The Ice Arena is a central pillar of that story. As the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce has noted, the Arena has added “jobs and creating activities for our young people to enjoy.” It has been embraced by the county’s schools, sports associations, and families as a genuine community anchor. The RSU 68 school district proudly lists the Arena among the assets that define the quality of life in this region. Dover-Foxcroft’s location as a gateway to Baxter State Park and Maine’s North Woods further amplifies the Arena’s potential as a regional draw for visitors and new residents alike.
“A community without a gathering place loses more than convenience — it loses the connective tissue that holds people together.”
The Arena: What’s at Stake
The Piscataquis County Ice Arena is not simply a rink. It is the only indoor ice facility serving a vast rural region of Maine. Located adjacent to Foxcroft Academy at 1049 West Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft, the Arena has, in just a few short years, become the region's recreational and community hub — hosting programs that serve youth athletes, figure skaters, schools, and the general public alike.
Today, the Arena faces a very real risk of permanent closure. Without new stewardship and the capital investment that comes with it, this asset — one that took years to bring to life and cannot be easily or quickly replaced — may go dark. Piscataquis Forward has stepped forward to prevent that outcome. But doing so requires the resources to make it real.
Current Programs and Beneficiaries
The Arena currently hosts, or will host under Piscataquis Forward, a rich and diverse portfolio of programs touching every segment of the community:
• Penquis Youth Hockey Association — competitive and recreational hockey for children and teens across the region, giving young athletes a team, a season, and a sense of belonging
• Ice Dance International (IDI) — figure skating programs, performances, and shows that bring artistry and discipline to young skaters
• Learn to Skate USA — beginner skating instruction for children and adults, making the ice accessible to first-timers of all ages
• Public skating sessions — open to all, a rare and beloved gathering opportunity in a county with limited recreational options
• Curling, broomball, and shinny (drop-in) hockey — inclusive, low-barrier programming that draws casual participants of all ages
• iTrain Hockey Camps — attracting youth hockey participants from across the state of Maine
• School and physical education programming — serving area students through the local district, making the Arena an extension of the classroom
• The Dover Cove Farmers’ Market — held at the Arena facility, demonstrating the space’s role as a true community hub beyond the ice
“Once a rural community loses its ice arena, it rarely gets it back. This is a now-or-never moment for Piscataquis County.“
The Vision: Year-Round Ice
Currently, the Arena does not operate with ice year-round. One of Piscataquis Forward’s core goals is to change that. Year-round ice would unlock a fundamentally different range of possibilities for the community:
• Extended hockey seasons and summer hockey camps for youth athletes seeking development and competition
• Year-round figure skating programming and training
• Summer Learn to Skate sessions that introduce the sport to children who might otherwise never try it
• Expanded school programming that reaches students throughout the academic year and beyond
• Increased rental opportunities for regional teams, camps, and events that generate revenue and regional visibility
• A stronger economic and community case for the Arena as a year-round destination — not just a winter amenity
Year-round ice is not a luxury. It is the difference between an Arena that is a seasonal supplement and one that is a permanent, transformative anchor for community life in Piscataquis County.
Piscataquis Forward: The Steward
Piscataquis Forward is a nonprofit organization formed by committed community members who believe in the long-term vitality of Piscataquis County and its communities. Piscataquis Forward is committed to the transparent, mission-driven governance that long-term stewardship of a public asset requires.
Piscataquis Forward’s mission is rooted in the belief that rural communities thrive when they invest in shared spaces, shared experiences, and shared futures. Assuming responsibility for the Piscataquis County Ice Arena is the organization’s founding initiative — and the most direct expression of that mission.
Piscataquis Forward brings together community members with deep roots in civic leadership, public service, economic development, and organizational governance. The organization is committed to:
• Maintaining the Arena as an accessible, affordable, community-first facility
• Expanding programming to reach more youth, adults, and schools across the region
• Pursuing a sustainable financial model through earned revenue, grants, and community support
• Building partnerships with schools, businesses, and regional organizations that strengthen the Arena’s role as a county-wide resource
• Practicing transparent, accountable stewardship of a public asset
"For a child growing up in Piscataquis County, the Ice Arena may be the only place they will ever learn to skate, play on a team, or perform for an audience. With year-round ice, that opportunity multiplies — for every child, every season, every year."
The Campaign: $500,000 to Secure the Future
Piscataquis Forward is launching a $500,000 capital and operating campaign to ensure the Arena’s continuity and long-term health. Campaign funds will be directed toward three primary areas:
1. Operational Stability & Transition
Assuming stewardship of the Arena requires sufficient operating reserves to bridge the transition period, maintain staffing and programming continuity, and meet the immediate financial obligations of facility management. A stable operational foundation is the prerequisite for everything else.
2. Capital Improvements & Deferred Maintenance
Like all ice facilities, the PCIA requires ongoing investment in its mechanical systems, ice-making equipment, facility infrastructure, and patron amenities. Campaign funds will address deferred maintenance priorities identified through a comprehensive facility assessment and position the Arena for sustained operation over the next decade and beyond.
3. Program Access & Expansion
A thriving Arena is a full Arena. Campaign funds will support the expansion of youth programming — hockey, figure skating, Learn to Skate, and school partnerships — along with financial assistance mechanisms to ensure cost is never a barrier to participation for a Piscataquis County child or family.
4. Year-Round Ice
Perhaps the most transformative element of Piscataquis Forward's vision is the conversion to year-round ice operations. The Arena has historically not maintained ice through the summer months. Achieving year-round ice will require investment in refrigeration infrastructure, operational systems, and staffing — but the return on that investment is extraordinary: summer hockey camps, year-round skating programs, expanded school partnerships, and a fundamentally stronger financial model driven by twelve months of programming and rental revenue rather than a seasonal window.
$500,000. Keep the ice. Keep the community. Keep the future.
Why This Matters: The Larger Case
Rural communities across America are in a quiet battle — not a dramatic one, but a slow and steady competition for the things that make a place worth living in. Young families weigh schools, jobs, healthcare, and quality of life when they decide where to put down roots. They weigh whether their children will have somewhere to go, something to belong to, something to work toward.
The Piscataquis County Ice Arena answers that question in a way that few other assets can. It is the place where a seven-year-old takes her first wobbly strides on the ice, where a teenager finds a team and a sense of belonging. Neighbors gather on a Friday night because there is somewhere to gather. Where a community says, quietly but unmistakably, “We believe in our children. We believe in our future. We are staying.”
Investment in the Piscataquis County Ice Arena is an investment in one of rural America’s most underserved and underappreciated needs: the infrastructure of belonging. When communities lose their gathering places — their rinks, their theaters, their ballfields — they lose more than amenities. They lose the glue.
Piscataquis Forward is asking partners, foundations, and community champions to help us keep the glue.
An Invitation to Partner
Piscataquis Forward welcomes investment at every level. All contributions — whether from individuals, foundations, businesses, or organizations — go directly toward securing the Arena’s future and the futures of the young people it serves.
We are actively seeking support from:
• Foundations committed to rural community vitality, youth development, and recreational access
• NHL, NHLPA, and hockey-affiliated philanthropic programs dedicated to growing the game in underserved communities
• Figure skating and winter sports organizations that champion access for youth across America
• Federal and state programs that invest in rural community facilities and economic development
• Corporate partners and local businesses who know that a thriving community is good for everyone
• Individual donors who grew up skating, playing, or cheering in a place like this — and who want to give that experience to the next generation
Naming rights, program sponsorships, and recognition opportunities are available at multiple levels. We invite you to discuss how your investment can be recognized and celebrated in a way that reflects your values and mission.
To learn more or discuss a partnership, please get in touch with Piscataquis Forward at: john@piscataquisforward.org
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