Close to a year ago, Ahmeek’s community came together to support the local outdoor ice rink. And in about one week the community will celebrate a major project completed. In late December 2023 Ahmeek’s village with assistance from the Keweenaw Community Foundation, organized a fundraising campaign to support the installation of new boards at the Emil Aho Ice Rink.
The rink’s previous boards were installed in the 1990s, and new sheeting from the Calumet Coliseum was installed in 2019.
Over 100 donors contributed to the fundraiser. In about five months, the community was able to raise over 100,000 dollars for the project. The Emil Aho Ice Rink was built for the community to enjoy outdoor skating and ice hockey in 1984. Since then the rink has had several large projects, bringing it from a flat sheet of ice in a field to a full-size outdoor rink with a warming shack.
On Sunday the Keweenaw Community Foundation will bring Ahmeek’s village together and cut a ribbon for the restoration of the rink. The event will include a pizza party, hot chocolate, and open skating.
