Evening ceremony marks 20 years of the Ralph Engelstad Arena
Oct. 8—More than 260 guests were invited to the Ralph Engelstad Arena on Thursday evening, Oct. 7, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the building that has hosted numerous concerts and events, but is most widely known as the home of the UND men's hockey team.
Invited guests chatted over food and champagne, and more than a little beer, before gathering before a small stage backgrounded by a large screen that captured the evening's speakers. Those speakers included REA General Manager Jody Hodgson, who emceed the event; UND President Andrew Armacost; Mayor Brandon Bochenski; UND Athletic Director Bill Chaves; hockey coach Brad Berry; and Kris Engelstad McGarry, trustee of the Engelstad Foundation.
Bochenski, when his turn came at the podium, briefly recounted memories from his days playing at UND and then professionally. He then issued a mayoral proclamation about Oct. 7, 2021.
Said Bochenski: "... Whereas the Engelstad family and Engelstad Foundation have continued to give back to Grand Forks for decades ... I Brandon Bochenski, mayor of Grand Forks, do hereby proclaim Oct. 7, 2021, as Ralph Engelstad Arena Day, and call upon the people of Grand Forks to observe this day with pride, appreciation and honor, to be the home of one of the finest sports venues in the world, the Ralph Engelstad Arena."
Each speaker recounted memories of the storied venue that came online in 2001, remembered some of the games that have taken place there, and expressed their thanks to the people who manage the arena. They also noted Ralph Engelstad, the person who made it possible with a more than $100 million donation in 1998.
Armacost, who called himself the "new guy on the block," said that unlike the other speakers, he doesn't have 20 years of memories of the arena. But he does look forward to the next 20 years of making them.
Berry told the audience he reminds players of sayings of Ralph Engelstad and their relevance to teamwork. Among them: "The harder I work, the luckier I get," and "there's no dream that comes true until I get up and go to work."
Shortly before Engelstad McGarry took the stage, she was presented by Hodgson a graphite sketch of the arena, done by artist Michael Duran. Hodgson said merely saying "thank you" is not enough for the support of the Engelstad Foundation over the years.
Once on the stage, Engelstad McGarry joked that the benefit of speaking last is that the previous speakers already said everything she wanted to say. In particular, she thanked Earl Strinden, in attendance Thursday evening, for being the "biggest cheerleader" for the UND community. Strinden established the UND Alumni Association and Foundation in 1978, and led it for 26 years. Before she walked up on stage, Strinden hugged Engelstad McGarry.
She said she believes that things happen for a reason, including the genesis of the REA. But the legacy of the building is about more than the building itself, she said. It's about the people who run it and the people who care for it. And she couldn't resist adding a little humor to her meaningful remark.
"It's everybody here who makes it run, everybody from the university, everybody from the Ralph, everybody from the (adjoining Betty Engelstad Sioux Center) that nobody ever remembers," she said to laughter.
But she concluded: "There's a reason why we're celebrating."
