Isla Moran is a nine-year old from Bemidji and a third-grade student at St. Philip’s Elementary School. She hasn’t seen her classmates in about a month, but on Thursday she made a surprise visit and had some good news to share with her friends.

Isla has a rare heart disease call Shone’s syndrome that involves a combination of four left-sided heart defects. You can read about Isla’s full story on her GoFundMe page.

This Saturday, Isla will be featured at the Make-A-Wish fundraiser game between the Bemidji State and Michigan Tech men’s hockey teams. She’ll be dropping the puck before the game begins, hopping on the Zamboni, and be honorary captain for the game between the Beavers and Huskies.

Other in-game activities taking place are a Teddy Bear Toss after the Beavers score their first goal, and the Chuck-A-Puck proceeds, which takes place in-between periods, will go directly to the Make-A-Wish Minnesota Chapter.

Bemidji State Athletics, the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, and Lueken’s Village Foods have all rallied together to help make this Make-A-Wish hockey weekend possible.

On Thursday, the First National Bank Bemidji Foundation chipped in by providing free tickets for Saturday’s game so Isla’s classmates could watch her take part in the hockey festivities. BSU Athlete Advisory Committee President Rumer Flatness along with members of the BSU women’s hockey team and Bucky the Beaver were on hand to present the tickets to the St. Phillip’s third-grade class.

The Make-A-Wish fundraiser game will take place on Saturday at the Sanford Center at 6:07 p.m.

By — Chaz Mootz