St. Michael-Albertville was abuzz Saturday as news spread it earned a spot among the Last Four communities to become Kraft’s newest Hockeyille USA. St. Michael-Albertville, which plays its youth hockey at the STMA Arena in Albertville, has already earned $20,000 in arena upgrades via Kraft’s Hockeyville USA contest, and could win $150,000 more, as well as the opportunity to host a National Hockey League pre-season game in 2015.
Four communities have moved on from the last round. Who has the passion to get to the finals? bit.ly/1CD6VRFNext round of voting starts April 21!
Posted by Kraft Hockeyville USA on Saturday, April 18, 2015
STMA was the only community from the “State of Hockey” to win a spot in the final 10. Voting to earn a spot in the finals begins at 11 p.m. (CDT) Monday, April 20. St. Michael-Albertville will take on Decatur, Ill., in the semis.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized by Kraft for our community pride and our passion for hockey,” said Albertville Mayor Jillian Hendrickson. “Additional funding would boost momentum for arena expansion plans in our community.”
St. Michael-Albertville’s submission was entered by Kathy Lester, a local hockey fan. STMA’s passion is evident in its efforts to rally the community behind a hockey program that is one of the largest in the state, relying on one rink to house its more than 500 players.
If STMA makes the final two, it could earn either the grand prize of $150K or a runner-up prize of $75,000 in arena upgrades . It has already won one of wo “first prizes” of $40,000 in upgrades for the semifinalist communities’ facility.
“We’re ecstatic to have a position in the last four communities,” said Josh Opiola, president of the St. Michael-Albertville Youth Hockey Association. “All of our volunteers have worked diligently to support and grow the game we love, and this is a prime example of that passion for hockey in our community.”
There are three ways to vote in the Kraft Hockeyville USA contest. Fans can text “Albertville” to 35350, call in a vote at 1-855-255-5975, or visit KraftHockeyville.com and vote online. Voting is open to all those 13 years of age and older, and voters can submit 50 votes via EACH method, for a total of 150 entries per DAY. Further details are on the Kraft Hockeyville website.
Supporters in STMA have also set up a website with information about the contest at VoteSTMA.com, and a Facebook Event site with voting reminders and instructions is also available.