Charlie Boike, Minnesota teen killed in crash, to be honored with hockey training center
WAITE PARK, Minn. — On Dec. 10, 2022, the Boike family of St. Cloud lost their hockey-loving middle child, 17-year-old Charlie Boike, in a car crash.
Omni Training Facility in Waite Park is where the teen, known for his empathy and athleticism, spent many a day.
"I've trained hundreds of youth athletes and there's always a few who stand out, and Charlie was one of those kids," said facility co-owner Colin Briscoe.
When his life stopped, it stopped people in their tracks, says co-owner Leah Egan.
"The news about Charlie really shook this whole community," Egan said.
And most rattled of all was his proud family.
"He was an old soul," said mother Erika Boike. "He would look you straight in the eye, shake your hand and have a conversation with you."
She says her son was in the National Honor Society and was interested in engineering. As they wrestle with what could have been, they focus on what could still be.
"I think if it was up to him, this would be a full hockey training center," Briscoe said.
Charlie Boike had a vision to expand his training gym to give more people access. His family is now working to make that vision real with an adaptive hockey training area that includes pickleball courts.
"I know it's something that Charlie would have wanted," said father Jeff Boike. "I can come by and drive here, and I'll see a bunch of kids out having fun and interacting with each other, and that's probably what's most important to me."
The parking lot will be turned into "Charlie's Corner." They've raised about $40,000, about a quarter of their goal.
"It was Charlie's seed and it was our vision, and now with a few people that have already stepped up, we're like, 'Jeff, this is really, this is going to happen,'" said Erika Boike.
The goal is to have "Charlie's Corner" complete by what would have been his 20th birthday. More information can be found at SkateFreeCharlie.org.
