A touching and almost magical facility is in the final stages of completion in remembrance of one fantastic kid who had dreams of creating a place everyone could enjoy. The Boike Family and community members from all over central Minnesota are excited about the opening of 'Charlie's Corner Community Sport Court'.

A goal of having Charlie's Corner completed by what would have been Charlie's birthday in October seems like it just might happen.

CHARLIE BOIKE

The dreams of a young central Minnesota man whose life was lost way too soon are finally coming to fruition. Charlie Boike, a talented young hockey player, dreamed of a target shooting area for hockey players. Charlie passed away in a tragic car accident in December of 2022 when he was just 17.

Keeping his memory and dreams alive, his parents, along with the help of amazing community members, are now nearing completion of Charlie's Corner.

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Charlie's Corner will feature a Pickleball court that is wheelchair accessible, allowing the adaptive community to enjoy the sport, as well as a target shooting wall.

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BELIEVE

Charlie's Corner is being erected at the Omni Training Facility. The owners of Omni, Leah and Colin, had a close relationship with Charlie, and they believe in Charlie's dream of helping out people in the community, so Charlie's Corner will be located at their facility.

The Boikes are so incredibly touched that the community has been behind this amazing project, and construction is almost complete.

IN NEED OF HOCKEY NETS

Charlie's Corner is still in need of hockey nets. If you would like more information to find out how to donate and what exactly the Boikes are needing for this court, you can go to Skate Free Charlie for more information.

PROGRESS

Poles were set on July 2nd, and the Target shooting wall was completed. The Boikes thanked CMD Construction and Tri-County Lumber for their in-kind donation of materials, and then thanked the individuals who made it all happen.

YOU CAN STILL ORDER A PAVER

Suppose you want to be a part of this extraordinary project and help them complete it by adding all the finishing touches. In that case, anyone who wants to be a part of the creation of Charlie's Court can purchase a paver for the patio that will be engraved with their name. If you would like to purchase a paver, that will be placed within Charlie’s Corner Multi-Sports Court at the Omni Training Facility, located at 700 Division Street, Waite Park, MN 56387. Click HERE now while there is still time.

I spoke with Erika Boike about the possibility of a Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, and she said that is definitely in the plans. It is their way of thanking everyone and all the sponsors for bringing Charlie's Corner to life.