Up North: Youth Hockey Fundraiser Makes A Splash in the Community

On Sunday from ten am to three pm, SUPerior Paddle Board hosted a pop-up event at the Park Point Beach house. While there have been many pop-up paddle boarding events, this is the first of its kind.

Owner Cara Overland, a proud hockey mom, is the Duluth Heights Hockey Association Vice President. Knowing first-hand how much it costs to play hockey, Overland decided to raise money for the cause.

“I just had an idea to donate all the funds to a fun pop-up down at Park Point and donate all the funds to our Duluth Heights Hockey Scholarship fund which provides funds for families who may have some financial constraints,” Overland explained. “Hockey’s very expensive and so this will just lighten the load a little bit.”

Duluth Heights is the smallest hockey association in the city, with just fifty families. Fundraising gives the young players the opportunity for a fair shot against the other teams. Overland was more than willing to donate the time and materials to support the association.

“We are small but we are mighty,” she said. “We really believe in our kids and believe in the association, so we do all we can to make sure that we are competitive and have fun.”

Around forty people attended the pop-up paddle boarding event, raising approximately $500. While that is more than enough to cover one youth player’s fees for the entire season, more fundraising is needed.

To donate, you can send funds to Duluth Heights Hockey through the association’s official Venmo @DuluthHeights-Hockey or contact Cara Overland by email. The next fundraising opportunity will be purchasing community discount cards, starting in late November.