Join us at Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club on August 12
Sponsorship opportunities and registration are now available. Experience one of New England’s most interesting golf courses while supporting the Pop Whalen Ice & Arts Center.
Naming Opportunities
The Friends of Pop Whalen received permission from the Town of Wolfeboro to create a menu of naming opportunities to recognize the largest donors to the campaign. As part of this, three memoranda of understanding have been drafted, agreed upon, and signed by the donors and the Town of Wolfeboro selectmen for a five-year period. These agreements provide exclusive use of four locker rooms to the student athletes at Brewster Academy and Kingswood Regional High School. One dressing room provides nonexclusive use to the participants of Back Bay Hockey. All five rooms were furnished by and at the expense of the associated group or their donor(s). Warrant Article 22 will extend each of these agreements to forty years which aligns with IRS Publication 946 definition of the lifetime of a building.
About Pop Whalen
Paul “Pop” Whalen was an inspirational coach and teacher. His students and players excelled in both academics and athletics. Included in Pop’s alumni are teachers, artists, and Olympians.
Originally opened in the late 1980s, the Pop Whalen Ice & Arts Center hosted events from October through April each year. The new and rejuvenated arena opened on January 4, 2023 and is open year-round for a variety of programs and events, and to our community.
Watch the Bruins Alumni Game online!
Relive all the fun from January at the Pop Whalen Ice & Arts Center.
Funding Update
The Friends of Pop Whalen asked for and received permission to extend the timeline of their total commitment to the Town of Wolfeboro to July 31, 2024. The Friends of Pop Whalen have made and continue to make payments to the Town of Wolfeboro as donations are received.
As of March 1, 2024 the current balance is $298,829. The $2.7MM commitment by the Friends of Pop Whalen will be paid in full by July 31, 2024.
The Campaign
The reconstruction of the Pop Whalen Ice & Arts Center is, to date, the Town’s largest known public-private partnership. As approved by the voters in March 2022, the Town of Wolfeboro bonded the public portion of the of the project at $4.27MM. The Friends of Pop Whalen publicly launched a $2.7MM fundraising campaign at the same time. To clarify any confusion the total project is and has always been $6.97MM. The project was completed on budget and on schedule. In addition, prior to the start of the campaign, the Friends of Pop Whalen provided the Town of Wolfeboro with more than $100K to cover architect and engineering fees.
Our Vision
The vision of the Friends of Pop Whalen is to better our community, its health and lifestyle through the opportunities and experiences available year-round at the Pop Whalen Ice & Arts Center. For those interested, donations are welcomed. The Friends of Pop Whalen is both volunteer group and a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2019.