Once a year, the rink clears its floor, sets the tables, and fills the building with the people who keep it standing. The gala is the Palouse Ice Rink’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and the money it raises goes straight into the things that keep ice in Moscow: new equipment, improvements to the building, the ordinary unglamorous upkeep that never stops, and the debt we are still working to pay down.
It is also, reliably, a fun night.
2026: The Silver Anniversary
There was time before dinner to wander, bid, and find old friends. Guests climbed onto the Zamboni for photographs, or stuck their heads through the cutouts to become a figure skating duo, or a pair of hockey players mid-scrap.
Then dinner, with Lisa Fournier as host for the evening. Tony Mangini spoke about how the rink came to exist and why this night matters — we carry debt, and maintenance is not a someday problem. Erik Jacobson premiered The Miracle of Ice, a film about the unlikely good fortune of having ice at all in a town this size.
Kyle Pea took the podium for the live auction — desserts, kayaks, Kraken tickets, three nights on Lake Coeur d’Alene — and Lisa worked the crowd with silver pom poms, egging people on and dancing the room into a laughter-filled frenzy. Between the bidders and the businesses and individuals who donated what was on the block, the 2026 gala raised more than any gala before it.
The Films
The 2026 Gala — a short record of the evening.
The Miracle of Ice — Erik Jacobson’s film, premiered at the gala. Fifteen minutes showing our unique place in the cosmos, the role of ice, the history of ice sports, and how a small town on the Palouse came to have a sheet of ice, and the community that thrives because of it.
Thank You to Our 2026 Donors
Our silver anniversary gala was made possible by the businesses, organizations, and individuals who donated auction items, cakes, and services.
- Angela Norton
- Annie & Duane Wessels
- Bar 42
- Bears Youth Hockey
- Blue Sky Dental
- BookPeople of Moscow
- Brain & Body Balance
- Bush Family
- Cafe Artista & Gail Martin
- Cece May
- Charles Johnson
- Clearwater Canyon Cellars
- Cori Dantini
- Debra Francetich
- Derek Knox
- Dr Puck Publications
- Ed Walker – Happy Hog Meatery
- Four Seasons Lawn & Pest
- Gala Committee
- Garden Lounge
- Gem State Crystals, Inc. – Evan McClain
- Geneva LeResche
- Germer Construction
- Gill’s Point S Tire and Auto Service – Colby Johanson
- Goosehouse Bakery – Molly Rizzuto
- Hahn Rental Center
- Hair & Face – Phil Lee
- Holstery
- Hunga Dunga
- JC 93 – Jonathan Coseman
- Jerry Gzebielski
- Jess Ford
- Joanne Tirocke
- Johanna LeResche
- Jon Rouleau
- Kate McCetich
- Kathy Kwiatkowski
- Kenworthy Theater
- La Casa Lopez
- Landgrove Coffee – Hannah Bininger
- Les Schwab – Jake Miller, Manager
- Lisa Fournier
- Mark McGuire
- Mary Gregory
- Mialina Pizzeria
- Mikaela’s Art Gallery
- Mikey’s Gyros
- Monarch Hotel / Nectar / Fran Amend
- Moscow Candy
- Moscow Chamber of Commerce
- Moscow Co-Op Bakehouse
- Moscow Tattoo – Matt Johnson
- Moscow Yoga Center
- Moscow/Pullman Building Supply
- Neat Whiskey Bar
- North Idaho Crushing
- North Star Financial
- Northwest River Supplies
- One World Cafe
- Orchard Farms – Kate Jaeckel
- Paige Mangini
- Palouse Curling Club
- Palouse Juice
- Palouse Patchers
- PCEI
- Pour Company
- Red Star Coffee
- Refuge Cigar Lounge
- Rivaura Winery
- Ron Hudiburd
- Scott & Fran McBeath
- Sewell Studio & Gallery – Andy Sewell
- Shattuck West
- Shelly Pressley
- Skate Shop
- Steffen Werner
- U of I Athletics & Apparel – Shelby Silflow
- University Inn
- University of Idaho Hockey Club
- University of Idaho Student Rec Center
- Vandal Golf Course – Michael Wagner
- White Pine Outfitters
- Woodland Honey – Brandon Woodland
- Zak Feeds
Next Year
The gala returns. Watch this page and the newsletter for dates.