WORTHINGTON — With the city of Worthington and Worthington ISD 518 both offering $5 million toward the construction of a new ice arena, members of the Worthington Hockey Association are brainstorming fundraising ideas to make their dream a reality.

The group needs to raise more than $8 million for the project. If it does so by the end of this year, the city could make another $2 million available through future half cent sales tax revenue. A new single-sheet ice arena is projected to cost $20.875 million.

If the funds are raised and the new arena built, the existing ice arena will remain in use as a practice facility for as long as it’s viable.

Worthington Hockey Association member and hockey coach Jason Johnson said that while $863,000 is already pledged to the arena, much has yet to be done both financially and logistically.

I think the bad guy in the room here is the cost of building. It’s very unlikely to get any cheaper in the future. We have got a long way to go.

Jason Johnson

“We’re in a time crunch. We feel like we’ve been in a time crunch ever since the start of this, just with our aging facility, cooling system and all of the above,” Johnson said. “We’ve certainly talked about the possibility of reducing the overall cost of the project. We’ve met as a hockey group, put together a structure and assigned different people with different responsibilities. We are going to try to rally the troops within the association and community to perform the tasks that we have set forth.”

Johnson said the hockey association has assigned members to work on financing, pledges and a donor list of individuals, families, businesses and public entities, as well as people to look into the potential for grants and gifts from foundations.

“We’re certainly hoping to communicate with the entities that have been involved so far and keep everybody on the same page,” he shared. “I’m hopeful now that we have a clear path forward, and that we can start up that campaign again and secure more pledges.”

The condition of the existing ice arena is giving the group all the more reason and urgency to secure funding.

Johnson said the worst case scenario is to have no access to ice in any facility, should systems in the current facility break down.

Though the task of raising $8 million before the end of the year may seem Herculean, Johnson said knowing the good it can bring to the community makes it all the more urgent to undertake.

“It’s a super, super tall task,” he admitted. “I think it would be easy to look at it as being too daunting and just throw your hands up in the air and give up, but I remain hopeful. I think that we’re definitely gonna have to have some big donors to make it happen.”

Johnson said he looks forward to working on the fundraising.

“My dad’s always been my biggest cheerleader, and I talked to him a lot. He said we’re all out there yelling at the kids to hustle during games and practice, and now it’s time for the adults to go out and hustle and try to make this happen,” Johnson said. “I’m thankful to be a part of that. At this point, I’m very hopeful that it’s an achievable goal, but it’s a lot of money in a short amount of time. And I think in the next two, three, four months, we’re probably gonna have a good idea of where it’s gonna end up.”

Johnson said his top priority is to keep indoor ice in Worthington, saying it’s a huge benefit to the hockey program, as well as to the community.

“I think it’s a huge benefit to the community, not only with having open skates where kids are able to have physical activity, I also think about the economic impact of the ice arena, bringing people into the community,” he shared. “Many times when we have games and/or tournaments, people come here and then stay here, they go somewhere to eat or go somewhere to shop. Many times with tournaments, they’re staying overnight and that’s a big economic boost for us and our businesses.”

As a coach, Johnson said those who would benefit the most from a new arena are the children that play hockey in the community.

I was very fortunate to be able to play indoors here and I want to do my absolute best to allow the next generation to have that same opportunity.

Jason Johnson

“I have been involved in coaching since 2010. I’m passionate about the sport. It’s easy to get caught up in all of the other efforts to keep the program going, but ultimately, the Hockey Association is there for the kids,” he said. “I’m a big believer that youth sports are important. They’re not for life, but I believe that youth sports are a really good way to learn and prepare for life.”

Through hockey, Johnson said they’re trying to create good human beings, teammates and leaders.

“I absolutely love being part of the program. I started playing hockey in Worthington when I was three,” he said.
“I was very fortunate to be able to play indoors here and I want to do my absolute best to allow the next generation to have that same opportunity.”

The Worthington Hockey Association is brainstorming several community fundraiser events and opportunities, ranging from a summer gun raffle to selling hockey calendars and pull tabs. For more information or fundraising ideas, call Jason Johnson at (507) 329-0201. To personally make a donation, send it to “Worthington Hockey Association, Attention: new ice rink”, P.O. Box 123, Worthington MN 56187.