WAUPUN — Directors of the Waupun Hockey Association addressed the Waupun City Council Tuesday evening with another appeal to assist with the Community Center floor, but this time they explained it was about more than just direct funding.
Their primary case asserted that if the City was to back the project, they would have the legitimacy required for greater sponsorships from regional businesses.
And knowing the issues with the floor, they might have limited time to act before the floor becomes unusable, which means canceling the rink until it can be repaired.
Last year the Waupun Hockey Association announced they were fundraising to replace the community center flooring which serves as an ice rink during the winter.
For years concerns have grown about the remaining lifespan of the rink floor, leading to them requesting estimates for how much it would take to replace it. In 2019, they received an estimate of $645,000, which was already a hefty amount before the massive economic inflation in 2020.
When they approached the City last October they said they received an estimate of $752,000 in 2022.
Today, they’re estimating the costs would be about $800,000.
The Association knows they can’t put off replacing the floor, due to both rising costs and the current likelihood of failure.
Tyler Loomans, the vice president of the Waupun Hockey Association, once again addressed the Council at Tuesday’s meeting to give an update on the fundraising project.
According to Loomans, the Hockey Association has over $85,000 fundraised for the floor. Most was collected at fundraiser events and donations from locals passionate about local ice sports, but such a slow rate would take years to collect the necessary amount.
In an effort to make up the difference, the Hockey Association has begun exploring other sources of funding, such as sending pledge forms to hockey alumni and local businesses. They’ve also reached out to larger regional businesses and foundations that have a history of helping organizations like this, such as Michels and National Exchange Bank and Trust.
Loomans explained that a number of businesses they’ve reached out to have already agreed to help fund for them, but some haven’t confirmed how much they’re willing to donate.
These businesses play a big role in helping the Hockey Association raise the funds they need as it is, but the Association believes that if the City funds a large chunk of the project, they would have an easier time getting commitments or a higher amount than they would have otherwise.
Brittany Falk, secretary to the Hockey Association, elaborated on what it would mean to the Association if the City funded the project, and how it could help them secure funding from local businesses and prove their donations won’t go to waste.
“Our biggest thing we’re getting back from people is that they want to see community participation and they want to see our fundraiser number higher before they contribute,” Falk said. “That’s why I’d like to see the ARPA funds come to us, so we can say ‘Our City believes we are going to raise these funds, our City believes that we are going to continue to have a hockey program, a figure skating program, and continues something that’s been historically Waupun.”
The Waupun Hockey Association originally approached the City Council last year about receiving a portion of the ARPA funds intended for use in industries disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 shutdowns, with sports no doubt one of the most impacted due to restrictions on large gatherings.
“I felt like the ARPA fund was a chance to not use [local] tax dollars,” Loomans said. “There are a lot of other things out there and there’s a lot of warranted needs in the city, and I was hoping we could further the discussion on the ARPA funding and get a portion of that for the Community Center.”
Throughout the meeting they emphasized that the floor could give out at any day, which would mean the cancellation of an entire hockey season or more.
The Hockey Association is open to selling naming rights to the building should an individual or business be interested in giving a large donation to the project.
