Our Purpose is our Youth Blue Line Arena Artificial Ice Fundraising Campaign BLC Fundraising Rep Dec 2007

Our Purpose is our Youth Blue Line Club Background Formed in 1972 as a non-profit, volunteer organization Promotes boys and girls hockey and figure skating in East Grand Forks Provides equipment, tournament fees, trophies, coaches, referees, and adequate ice facilities for area youth Believes good experiences in hockey and figure skating promote sportsmanship, athleticism, team building and future leaders

Our Purpose is our Youth Our Dilemma The Blue Line Arena-formerly the temporary Crestwood School Building-is a great community facility The main purpose behind the purchase and renovation was to provide a much needed third sheet of ice in town The Blue Line Club’s original vision was to operate this facility as a “natural” ice arena in order to keep costs down Warmer winter weather has meant 2 very short seasons in a row, less than 2 months of ice time each year OUR CONCLUSION: If we want to take full advantage of our investment in this building and provide kids with adequate opportunities to practice and play, we need to install an artificial ice system.

Our Purpose is our Youth Our Ice Needs Our ice needs have grown during the past several seasons. Currently from Mighty Mites through high school, we field these teams: –Boys: Boys high school varsity & jr varsity Bantam A & B Pee Wee A & B Squirt A & 3 Squirt Bs 3 Peanut teams 4 Mighty Mite teams (boys and girls) –Girls: Girls high school varsity 14U 12U 10U –Plus the entire figure skating program which has expanded too

Our Purpose is our Youth What Does Our Current Ice Support In addition to practice time for those listed teams, we host: –11 varsity boys games –9 JV boys games –12 varsity girls games –13 Bantam A & 12 Bantam B games –16 14U games –13 Pee Wee A & 14 Pee Wee B games –15 12U games –9 Squirt A and & 26 Squirt B games –14 10U games –18? Peanut games –11 Tournaments/Jamborees (Boys Varsity Jamboree, Bantam A, VFW district, Bantam B, 14U region, Pee Wee A, Pee Wee B, Squirt A, 12U, & 12U district, Peanut Jamboree) –Section 8A Boys Hockey Tournament once every 3 years –? Figure skating competitions –Annual figure skating ice show –Open hockey, recreational skating, and limited rental

Our Purpose is our Youth How We Are Coping To get through ice shortages we are: –Scheduling two teams for the same ice time at Bantam, Pee Wee, and Squirt Limits what the teams can work on in practice –Some of the teams are only practicing once or twice a week –Renting available ice at Ralph Engelstad arena at UND We have already committed $4,000 to ice at REA this season Available times are limited, have to work around UND men’s and women's teams, the GF Blues and Supras and the UND intramural programs. Most times are later in the evening limiting it to Bantam and sometimes Pee Wee age players. Outside ice has not been an option the last couple of seasons as the same warm weather that does not allow the BLC Arena to support ice, does not allow for outdoor ice.

Our Purpose is our Youth What Having the BLC Arena Will Allow When we have the third sheet of artificial ice we will be able to: –Continue to have practices while other arenas host events –Provide more practice time for our teams –Save money by not having to rent ice from REA –Generate money by allowing for more rental opportunities More ice time to develop our programs that is not dependent on mother nature

Our Purpose is our Youth What is This Going to Cost? Current floor cut/removal - $43,000 (complete) Grade and Prep sub floor/Replace with new concrete - $108,000 Install refrigeration system infrastructure - $95,000 Purchase refrigeration plant - $7,000 (complete, purchased from Moorhead) Refurbish refrigeration plant - $20,000 New boards/glass - $60,000-$70,000 (we have a set but they need a lot of refurbishment to address some safety issues TOTAL - $343,000

Our Purpose is our Youth What is the BLC Doing? Emphasis in membership--only one family in program not BLC member The BLC has voted to spend $100,000 from the general fund We have already gathered $60,000 in pledges and donations We have put together a cookbook which will be available in early December We are planning a puck sale Annual Blue Line Club raffle Soliciting hockey program participating families Soliciting hockey program alumni Researching guidelines on a couple of grants

Our Purpose is our Youth Contributors Gowan Const - $40,000 Community Bank - $7,500 ($2,500 yr/3 yrs) K & E Construction - $3,000 American Federal Bank - $2,500 Oslo Cenex - $2,000 US Bank - $1,000 Grand Forks Blue Line Club - $1,000 Troy Pecka Trucking - $1,000 Bremer Bank - $500 Tony P almiscno /AIG - $500 Bert’s Truck Equipment - $500 Drayton Enterprises (Tim Roach) - $500

Our Purpose is our Youth