Ahmeek Ice Rink Receives $5,000 Youth Hockey Grant

Joel Tuoriniemi alongside his wife Julianne, and their children Wyatt, Hanna, and Hunter.

The Keweenaw Community Foundation is pleased to announce a special grant award. The CLK Youth Hockey Fund will be awarding $5,000.00 to the Ahmeek Ice Rink “Build-the-Boards” project in memory of Joel Tuoriniemi.

A strong community advocate, Joel was instrumental in starting the CLK Youth Hockey Fund which supports youth hockey programs in the Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw area. After Joel’s passing in 2023, many community members gave generous gifts to the fund to continue his legacy and support youth hockey. We were fortunate to have benefitted from his skills and enthusiasm for hockey, and for the betterment of the community he cherished. The fund advisors and the Foundation agreed that the best way to honor Joel’s memory would be to award a special grant in his honor. After running a special call for proposals, the advisory committee selected the “Build-the-Boards” project for funding.

Image of Ahmeek (Emil Aho) Ice Rink and warming facility.

This award will support the Ahmeek Ice Rink to rebuild its board system. The Ahmeek Ice Rink is one of several recreational sites owned by Allouez Township and is run and maintained year-round by a group of enthusiastic and committed volunteers. The rink is primarily funded by donations and assistance from the township. The current Ahmeek Ice Rink facility and board systems were installed in 1992 and have been repaired multiple times since installation. The most recent updates were conducted in 2019 when board sheeting was received from the Calumet Colosseum following their board system upgrades. Unfortunately, these boards were not created for outdoor rink use, and have deteriorated due to weather conditions. A team of volunteers has convened to address the need to build new boards and upgrade the area to allow for recreation and community use for years to come!

Rebuilding the boards will cost roughly $100,000. Around $67,000 has been raised as of February 2024. The team hopes to purchase and rebuild the boards in Summer 2024. Named donors will be honored with an engraved plaque in the Ahmeek Ice Rink facility as well as on the Foundation’s website. Learn more about the project and donate online today: www.keweenawgives.org/ahmeek-ice-rink