MONROE — An eighth grader walks up to your place of business asking for donations toward their fundraising event. What do you do?
For many local business owners, the decision was to wholeheartedly give money, despite the kid’s age. Thus, Ethan Rosenstiel’s group Move it Forward began.
“We reached out to the community for donations. We got a great response,” Ethan said. “We thought our community is really strong, and we can build off of this.”
Although the group — started by kids aimed at helping kids — rallied around a singular charity hockey game, it has since flourished to host an annual hockey game, toy drive and summer event since 2020.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION
When Ethan was an eighth grader, he wanted to start a charity hockey game. Despite skepticism from his parents and a lack of knowledge on how to run such an event, Ethan went forward with the idea anyway.
“I pitched my idea to my parents. They said no because they didn’t know how to do it or start,” Ethan said. “I just said I was going to do it, so I did. My parents said if I was going to do it, I needed friends to help me.”
Ethan then reached out to his friends Ryan Mathiason, Kate Kundert, Katrina Sathoff and Lizzie Boll to join him in the endeavor. Each of his friends was on board, not only to help the community, but for a personal connection.
“Ethan and I had been friends all through middle school,” Ryan said. “When he asked me to do something for charity, I thought it was a great idea.”
Lizzie’s mom, Kirsten, works for Big Brothers Big Sisters, which was another reason for Lizzie to join.
“Ethan and I have been friends since sixth grade. When he asked, he said it was for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and my mom works there,” Lizzie said. “There was a connection. The idea to help kids have a good childhood — just like we all have been lucky to have — sounded good to me.”
Katrina was excited to see Ethan’s plan in action.
“I thought it was so cool that he [Ethan] thought of this idea and had this view that he wanted to carry out and make happen,” she said.
Although she knew nothing about hockey, Kate was excited to bring other talents to the group.
“When Ethan came to me about the event, I was totally on board because I wanted to do good in the community,” Kate said. “I had no prior connection to hockey, but I think the rest of us that didn’t play hockey had other aspects we brought to the table to make the event run smoothly.”
After the original five grouped together, Ethan also got the help of classmates Abby Grossen and Taylor Herbst.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
A large portion of Move it Forward’s success came from, and still comes from, local sponsors and donors. When looking for donations for the first charity hockey game, Ethan and his friends walked around town, asking local businesses for money.
“The first year, we had to put a whole lot of work in to get sponsors because we were starting from the ground,” Kate said. “We split into groups and walked around the square asking for donations. Honestly, we had good success. A lot of people, without knowing, trusted that we were going to do good things with what they were donating.”
Toni Voegeli, Branch Manager of Greenwoods State Bank in Monroe, was inspired by the group’s community commitment, which is why she decided to donate.
“Community is very important to Greenwoods State Bank. Having such a young and ambitious group making a difference is exactly why we donate,” Toni said. “Ethan and his friends are in a position not just to help others but also to inspire other young people to help in their communities.”
Despite having a relatively new business at the time, Caleb Riese of CGR Painting noticed how involved the group already was in the community and knew Ethan and his friends would carry that commitment over to Move it Forward.
“Ethan and his friends are involved in so many things around Monroe,” he said. “From reffing and umpiring park and rec events to volunteering to referee our yearly alumni hockey game. It’s so good to see them around our youth to set good examples for them.”
Chad Kundert of Kundert Construction knew Ethan and his family, and based on that alone, was confident in Ethan’s endeavors.
“I have known Ethan’s dad since I was in 4K and his mother for the past 26 years. Ethan comes from a great family with strong values,” Chad said. “I knew if he were to start something, he would follow through with it and do an exceptional job.”
Other businesses that joined Move it Forward from the beginning — and continue to support the group — were Klondike Cheese, New Glarus Brewing, and Davis Foundations.
WHAT’S IN A NAME
After the first charity hockey game, Ethan knew that the event and his group could grow. So, he stuck with the idea and coordinated a toy drive and summer event.
But every organization needs a recognizable name and image — Move it Forward was no exception. Ethan came up with the name based on the group’s goal, and he got the help of Tracy Hamilton from Heartland Graphics for the logo.
“We don’t really fundraise for ourselves,” Ethan said. “We fundraise and give money to other people — we move the money forward. I went to Heartland Graphics, and they made us a logo with the arrow forward.”
GIVING BACK
This year’s charity hockey game was the fourth that the group has organized, and their experience showed. Through a bake sale, raffle baskets and other donations, Move it Forward raised $8,700 for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“A ton of people that don’t even know us or have a personal connection will come out and buy raffle basket tickets and see what the event is all about,” Kate said. “I think that’s helped us have so much success. We had trust in the beginning from our community. As people saw what we were doing, they came back each year.”
In addition to the charity hockey game, Move it Forward also hosts a summer event. In the past, proceeds have gone toward the installation of the splash pad at Twining Park and Jacob’s SWAG. This year, donations will benefit the Aces and Queen of Diamonds, local youth baseball and softball teams.
On June 25, there will be a sand volleyball tournament at Twining Park beginning at 3 p.m. with a bags tournament to follow. During the afternoon, silent auction items will be up for bid and food concessions available. On June 26, the varsity softball and baseball teams will face off in a slow pitch game at Rec Park at 7 p.m.
FUTURE PLANS
As the 2022-23 school year came to a close and the members of Move it Forward approach their senior years, they’ve kept the longevity of the group in mind.
“Next year, we will revamp a bit. We will plan for the future, knowing we will be at college in different places,” Ethan said. “We will plan for it in advance and do our best to sustain Move it Forward through college.”
These plans include a website and date changes to accommodate college schedules. Rather than give the group to some of the members’ younger siblings, Ethan plans on keeping Move it Forward in his and his friends’ hands.
“We haven’t explored the idea of recruiting new people,” Ethan said. “I’m content with the group we have. I don’t see that changing.”
Although none of the members have a school picked out yet, they have ideas of what they’d like to study. Ethan wants to study architecture. Kate, Katrina and Lizzie plan on entering the medical field. Similarly, Abby will attend a tech school for radiology. Ryan is torn between business and sports analytics, while Taylor could see himself in accounting or strength training.
