February 4th , 2002

Family Ice Center

In 1995, The Blue Line Club, a volunteer non-profit organization supporting local ice skating activities, launched a funding campaign to develop a Family Ice Center to accommodate public skating and amateur and semi-professional hockey. The Donald G. Jones family, together with the Jones Family Foundation, contributed $600,000 as a community challenge grant towards the effort to raise $1.8 million as part of the private-public sector collaboration for development of the Family Ice Center. In tandem with $1.0 million obtained through loans, the Blue Line Club successfully raised a total of $3.2 million during the campaign. The Jones Family requested and selected the facility name "Family Ice Center," declining use of the personal name.

The Blue Line Club is currently in the midst of Phase II of its expansion plans - a $2.0 million campaign which will result in the addition of a 85' x 200' hockey rink and a smaller 60' x 100' rink to be set aside for use by kids and figure skaters.

The Blue Line is home to the Fond du Lac Bears hockey team and hosts numerous ice skating and hockey events for Marian College, Goodrich High School and St. Mary's Springs High School. Over 450 area families are members of the Club.