Eagle River is known as the Hockey Capital of the World due to the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame, and the century old hockey dome.
When a facility is that old, renovations and refurbishing are a must to keep it up to standards.
They were given a $250,000 National Neighborhood Promise Grant to help renew and fix many items around the dome.
That includes new and modernized cooling, roofing, septic systems and even a girls locker room.
“We are trying to preserve an almost 100-year-old building, and the parents of this association, both figure skating and hockey, are taxed with a large amount of volunteer hours,” said Kim Adamovich, president of the Eagle River Recreation Association.
They’re getting some help with the project from Republic Services.
Sales Manager Tyler Jacobson says they’re pitching in due to how much the Eagle River Recreation Association gives back to the community.
“We live, work, and play in this community as well. We employ 130 people just here in northern Wisconsin and so we’re happy that we can give back to the community that our employees utilize,” said Jacobson.
The goal is to preserve the dome while also allowing it to make history for generations to come.
“It’s gorgeous. People are excited to be here. Olympians have started hockey here. NHL stars have started hockey here. And just kids who want to be part of a team, learn a sport, build friendships for life,” said Adamovich.
Moving forward, the rink is looking to make more improvements and get ready for skates to hit ice.
