Above: A game takes place behind The Marina Lodge on Lake Sisseton in Fairmont on Saturday afternoon during the Southern Minnesota Pond Hockey Championship.

FAIRMONT– This past weekend the Southern Minnesota Pond Hockey Championship took place behind The Marina Lodge on Lake Sisseton in Fairmont. Despite Saturday’s single-digit temperatures, people came out in droves to not only play, but to watch.

Kelly Artz, an organizer of the event, said technically this was the 12th year of the event but their 10th year hosting it as it was cancelled the last two years due to Covid.

He said it was initially cancelled due to a blizzard in January 2020 and rescheduled for March 2020.

“Then the NCAA basketball tournament was shut down and we followed suit with that and the United States and just killed it,” Artz said.

When asked how long it took to prepare this time around, Dave Cone, another organizer, said, “It should have been months but it probably took three weeks.”

He pointed out that they’ve put the tournament on many years in the past and have a dedicated group of experienced volunteers.

“At the end of the day we didn’t know if Covid was going to be another issue or not so we set sails for having it and it was wonderfully successful,” Cone said.

Artz said they rely heavily on the hockey association for work hours. They run the concession and helped tear down on Sunday. A lot of individuals also helped to make the event successful.

Artz said Tom O’Brien, committee chair, was a big force behind this year’s event.

“He stepped up and said he’ll lead it. He’s a great cheerleader for all of us. Tom made it happen in 2022,” Artz said.

They also saw a great show of support following Friday’s big snowfall which dumped almost a foot of snow on the five rinks.

Artz said there was no snow on the rinks Thursday night, but Friday morning the snow began to fall and didn’t let up until well into the evening.

“We had volunteers. People called from all over town and brought snowblowers and shovels. They just showed up on Saturday morning,” he said.

As for turnout, 42 teams ranging from youth to adults participated. The teams came from not just Fairmont and the surrounding area, but beyond.

“It’s really about the youth. We have Mites all the way up to Bantam and then high school this year as well so that was really fun. We have adult teams as well,” Cone said.

Artz said there was a group of boys who were five or six the first year the event took place and now they’re seniors and ended up winning the championship.

“They played every year for ten years,” Artz said.

The tournament has been promoted each year by a Facebook page, which has proven to reach a lot of people.

“Someone asked us what the dates are for next year. He wants to know already and said he’s bringing three teams from Minneapolis to come back down,” Artz said.

The event wouldn’t be possible without the many businesses that support it. Some of them include Great Plains Transportation Services, C & B Operations, Graham Tire, Olson Rentals, Profinium Financial, Sweet Financial, Rosen’s Diversified, Remax Realty and Culligan Water.

“We have so many wonderful sponsors. It’s amazing,” Cone said.

“Every year they’re there for us. All you have to do is ask,” O’Brien said.

While the event has been held on different lakes and even indoors a few years due to weather, it’s been held behind the Marina Lodge for the past few years. The location has proven beneficial in many ways.

“The Marina Lodge has been so accommodating. Bryan Unke (owner) said this is one of their biggest weekends of the year,” Artz said.

The event isn’t all just for fun though. It also serves as a fundraiser for the Fairmont Youth Hockey Association. Artz said every year they raise about $10,000 from registration fees, concession sales and business sponsorships.

“Keeping the costs down is the main objective. We want kids to have the ability to play the sport without being limited due to costs,” Cone said.

An event that supports a good cause and provides a weekend of entertainment for the community all wrapped into one. Cone said the pond hockey tournament really is a city-wide event.

“We had people here who had never played hockey but just love the outdoors and love being a part of things. That’s really what it’s about,” Cone said.

He said he anticipates next year’s event to be even better.

“We want the community to be part of it. Community matters. It’s kind of our half-time in the middle of winter. It’s been a long winter already but this is a chance to celebrate. Spring’s next,” Artz said.