Nonprofit helps to bridge the financial gap for underprivileged kids who want to play hockey

SEATTLE -- With NHL on its way and a new arena under construction, hockey's popularity is growing in the Puget Sound region, but it can be expensive to play.

A local organization is helping to bridge the financial gap for families.

Seattle Youth Hockey Assist provides assistance for families to allow kids to play hockey -- regardless of their financial situation.

They hold free skills camps with donated ice and instruction. It doesn't cost the kids a dime.

"Hockey in the area has grown exponentially," said Mike Ringstad with the Seattle Youth Hockey Assist. "When I was younger in the area there was plenty of ice; we had two full sheets of ice a week. Now you hardly ever see teams with a full sheet of ice ... teams are sharing, associations are full and honestly, the costs aren't going down. It's expensive."

That's one of the big problems that local hockey is facing right now. The growing popularity is creating a growing demand for available ice, and there just isn't enough of it.

Seattle Youth Hockey Association is raising money to support underprivileged athletes through a golf tournament happening Aug. 24 in Redmond. You can learn more about the fourth annual Moonshine BBQ Training Camp Classic here.