2026 CSF Opportunity Grantees

9 Youth Hockey Groups, October Disabled Hockey Festival Will Benefit from Coach Sauer Foundation

The Coach Sauer Foundation is proud to announce that nine youth hockey organizations from throughout Wisconsin have received grants for the 2025-26 season.

The Foundation was formed as a vehicle for continuing to use the sport of hockey to improve the lives of others. Thanks to the generous support of the hockey community, we have been able to help both able bodied and disabled hockey organizations across the state to expand access to our great sport.

The Coach Sauer Foundation will also continue to be the primary sponsor of the Regional Disabled Hockey Festival for the sixth time. This year’s event will be held Oct. 25-26 at Verona Ice Arena and will feature sled hockey teams from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Iowa.

This year opportunity grants were awarded to applicants from youth hockey programs in:

• Barron

• Beloit

• Black River Falls

• Chippewa Falls,

• Janesville,

• New Richmond,

• LaCrosse (River City),

• St. Croix Falls (River Valley),

• Washington County (West Bend).

In the past eight years, we have provided over $83,000 in opportunity grants to 40 different youth hockey organizations. Hopefully, our supporting efforts will help grow the game and expand opportunities for girls and boys to compete and learn to love the game

Each June, we sponsor the Coach Sauer Classic, which last season welcomed 21 high school teams from across the state.

The annual Jeff Sauer Award is another key part of our mission. Following the example of the Hockey Humanitarian Award, which is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen, the Jeff Sauer Award recognizes Wisconsin high school hockey players—male or female—who give back to their communities in the true humanitarian spirit. Or, more simply put, we look to reward good high school hockey players being great people.

Last season’s winner was Wyatt Ehrhardt of Middleton.