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Gear Up Minnesota! Jamboree To Kick Off Celebration at University of Minnesota

By Minnesota Hockey, 10/20/15, 9:00AM CDT

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October 24 Event Will Be Followed by Gopher Women and Men’s Teams Celebrating Game’s Growth

St. Paul, MN – October 20, 2015 – Minnesota Hockey, in partnership with Total Hockey and the University of Minnesota hockey teams, will hold it’s first-ever Gear Up Minnesota! Mite/8U Jamboree at Mariucci Arena on Saturday, October 24. The special celebration of the ground-breaking program that has awarded more than 2,200 sets of brand new equipment to Minnesota Hockey players over the past five years, will feature six of the 46 Minnesota Hockey associations that benefitted from equipment grants this season.

Following an afternoon of half-ice games, all players will be given free access to the University of Minnesota vs. University of Minnesota Duluth women’s game at 4:00 PM at Ridder Arena. Players will gain access by obtaining the VIP pass, which can be accessed here. Players and their families will also have the option to purchase tickets to the University of Minnesota vs. Northeastern University men’s game at 8:00 PM at Mariucci Arena.

The event festivities kick off at 1:00 PM with off-ice activities in the Mariucci Arena concourse. Off-ice activities will include face-painting and tattoos, a photo station with Goldy Gopher, a poster-making station and interactive games. On-ice games will begin at 1:45 PM with each team playing a minimum of two 25-minute half-ice games. Games will be played in a 4-on-4 format with goalies. Participating teams will include Mites and 8U Girls from City of Lakes, Delano, Farmington, Northfield, Orono and Worthington. Combined, those associations received 100 sets of gear as part of last year’s equipment grant program.

“Few programs exist that do more for growing the sport of hockey than Gear Up Minnesota!” said Minnesota Hockey Executive Director Glen Andresen. “This day’s event will be a great way to provide a memorable experience for kids that may not have tried hockey if not for this equipment grant program. I want to thank Total Hockey and the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey program for putting on this event, and their commitment to getting more boys and girls into the game of hockey.”

“Each year, Total Hockey provides more than 1,200 sets of equipment to associations in all corners of the state through our programs,” said Total Hockey Director of Player Development, John Luetkemeyer. “We are excited to offer the opportunity to beneficiaries of the Gear Up Minnesota! program to play in a spectacular venue like Mariucci Arena, followed by world class Division I hockey at the University of Minnesota. It’s our hope that the participating teams will consider this a highlight in their early stages of their hockey lives.”

In just five years, Gear Up Minnesota! has provided 111 unique associations with sets of starter hockey equipment, with a total worth over $450,000. With each starter set including a hockey bag, helmet, breezers, gloves, elbow and shin pads, the program provides nearly everything new players need to start playing hockey.  In addition, Gear Up Minnesota! now offers starter sets of goalie equipment that enable associations to encourage more kids to try playing goalie.

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St. Paul, MN – October 20, 2015 – Minnesota Hockey, in partnership with Total Hockey and the University of Minnesota hockey teams, will hold it’s first-ever Gear Up Minnesota! Mite/8U Jamboree at Mariucci Arena on Saturday, October 24. The special celebration of the ground-breaking program that has awarded more than 2,200 sets of brand new equipment to Minnesota Hockey players over the past five years, will feature six of the 46 Minnesota Hockey associations that benefitted from equipment grants this season.

Following an afternoon of half-ice games, all players will be given free access to the University of Minnesota vs. University of Minnesota Duluth women’s game at 4:00 PM at Ridder Arena. Players will gain access by obtaining the VIP pass, which can be accessed here. Players and their families will also have the option to purchase tickets to the University of Minnesota vs. Northeastern University men’s game at 8:00 PM at Mariucci Arena.

The event festivities kick off at 1:00 PM with off-ice activities in the Mariucci Arena concourse. Off-ice activities will include face-painting and tattoos, a photo station with Goldy Gopher, a poster-making station and interactive games. On-ice games will begin at 1:45 PM with each team playing a minimum of two 25-minute half-ice games. Games will be played in a 4-on-4 format with goalies. Participating teams will include Mites and 8U Girls from City of Lakes, Delano, Farmington, Northfield, Orono and Worthington. Combined, those associations received 100 sets of gear as part of last year’s equipment grant program.

“Few programs exist that do more for growing the sport of hockey than Gear Up Minnesota!” said Minnesota Hockey Executive Director Glen Andresen. “This day’s event will be a great way to provide a memorable experience for kids that may not have tried hockey if not for this equipment grant program. I want to thank Total Hockey and the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey program for putting on this event, and their commitment to getting more boys and girls into the game of hockey.”

“Each year, Total Hockey provides more than 1,200 sets of equipment to associations in all corners of the state through our programs,” said Total Hockey Director of Player Development, John Luetkemeyer. “We are excited to offer the opportunity to beneficiaries of the Gear Up Minnesota! program to play in a spectacular venue like Mariucci Arena, followed by world class Division I hockey at the University of Minnesota. It’s our hope that the participating teams will consider this a highlight in their early stages of their hockey lives.”

In just five years, Gear Up Minnesota! has provided 111 unique associations with sets of starter hockey equipment, with a total worth over $450,000. With each starter set including a hockey bag, helmet, breezers, gloves, elbow and shin pads, the program provides nearly everything new players need to start playing hockey.  In addition, Gear Up Minnesota! now offers starter sets of goalie equipment that enable associations to encourage more kids to try playing goalie.

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