WORTHINGTON — The Globe’s annual ‘chair’-ity auction has brought local businesses and artists together to raise funds for the Worthington Hockey Association this weekend. The Globe’s 20th chair auction, which starts at 6 p.m. Saturday on the Regatta stage on Lake Okabena’s Sailboard Beach, will feature 10 Adirondack-style folding chairs with proceeds put toward the new ice arena.
The chair sponsors and their artists are Avalon, Avalon Group; Avera Access Family Medical Clinic, Neveah Isder; Client Community Services Inc., Susan Middagh; Daily Apple, Sarah Wickstrom; State Farm – Jason Vote, Lisa Severence; Mick’s Repair, Craig Ecternach; Nau Construction, Sue Nau; Primp Salon, Brad Behrends; The Mav, Jessica Zuniga; and The Stag, Alyssa Herrera.
Susan Middagh said she went online to start looking for design ideas after she was requested to paint something with the Minnesota Wild. “I didn’t even have any idea what the Wild logo was,” she said. “I actually ordered a poster to go off of.”
She also purchased a hockey puck and drilled a hole in the chair to put it in. Her husband, Tim, a former photographer for the Globe, helped her with the process. “We’re kind of a team,” she said.
This is Middagh’s third chair she’s designed for the annual Regatta chair auction. The freedom of creativity is what keeps her involved. “It’s fun to see,” she said. She hopes the hockey program gets a lot of success and help with their fundraising.
Sue Nau, who has painted a chair for the auction every year for almost 20 years, also designed this year’s chair around the Wild. “I try to paint it according to where the money’s going,” she said. “Therefore, Minnesota Wild is here for the hockey club.”
A special detail on Nau’s chair is the autograph of Minnesota Wild player Marc-Andre Fleury. “My son-in-law is a friend of the CEO of the Wild,” she explained. “So he was able to take the two side slats up there.”
A few chairs to be seen at the auction June 14 with Brad Behrends Miracle chair on the far left.
Chloe Farnsworth / The Globe
Brad Behrends created his design after being asked to theme it around hockey. He chose a scene from the 2004 movie, “Miracle”, and digitally printed it on the back of the chair. He said he did not have enough time to do it justice by hand painting it. “But I think it looks way better than if I would have hand painted it,” he said.
“I had an image of that from a past project and I used that image and sized it to the background of the chair,” Behrends explained. “Then I just added the top of the armrests, made them red with Trojans on it to tie into Worthington.”
He created a chair this year because it is for a great cause (and a family friend had asked him to). “I hope it goes high,” he said.
The hockey association has been fundraising since December, having raised about $865,000 on their own, with the city of Worthington and ISD 518 committing $5 million each. The estimated cost for the new ice arena is about $20.8 million.
“The reason it’s important is we are in need of a new facility due to the current facility conditions,” Josh Miller, hockey association board member, said. “Our facility is old and it’s lived passed its expectancy and it is time for a new one to really meet the demands of what the city is calling for and our association is needing.”
The goal of the new arena is to meet the growing demand for ice time and space as the association continues to grow. It would offer additional amenities in the city, offering a longer ice season and the ability to host more tournaments.
“Ultimately, create a better place for the kids and families to come and enjoy along with drawing more people into the community,” Miller said.
The hockey association is trying to do whatever it can to raise funds for a new facility and Miller said any donation is greatly appreciated by the association.
Chloe Farnsworth became a reporter for The Globe in April of 2025. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree for journalism from the University of Minnesota Duluth.