The Maple City Ice Bowl will return to Oxbow Park in Goshen this Saturday, marking its fifth year of raising funds to fight food insecurity in the local community. The disc golf tournament, part of a nationwide network of Ice Bowl events, brings together disc golfers of all skill levels for a good cause.
Jason Samuel, tournament director for the Maple City Ice Bowl, said the event is part of a larger effort to support food pantries across North America. “How the ice bowl works is it’s a network of tournaments throughout North America. It’s to raise money for organizations that help with food-insecure families,” Samuel explained.
All proceeds from this year’s event will go to the Window Food Pantry in downtown Goshen. “All of the proceeds, and I mean all of them, go to the Window Food Pantry in downtown Goshen,” Samuel said. The Window Food Pantry serves the entire county, making it a vital resource for those in need.
The tournament is fully volunteer-run, with participants and supporters contributing to the cause in many ways. Even the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) takes no fees, ensuring that every dollar raised goes directly to the food pantry. In addition to the disc golf tournament, the Ice Bowl weekend will feature a chili dinner fundraiser on Friday, part of Goshen's Downtown First Fridays.
Although registration for the disc golf tournament is full, Samuel emphasized that there are still opportunities to contribute. "Our goal is $35,000 for this year," he said. "The Maple City Ice Bowl is now the single largest fundraising event for the food pantry."
The event will take place in cold temperatures, with forecasts predicting temperatures in the mid-teens. Samuel said the weather won’t deter the competitors. “Our slogan is no wimps, no whiners,” he said with a laugh.
For more information on how to support the Window Food Pantry, visit the food pantry’s website.
