Northwoods Experience: Jake Haapajoki Memorial Cup Unites Brainerd Community

Organized through Smiles for Jake, the Jake Haapajoki Memorial Cup took place this past weekend in Baxter. In memory of Jake, who died by suicide in 2018, his family organizes a three-on-three hockey tournament each year in the backyard of their childhood home to raise money for suicide prevention and awareness.

Even though Jake was more into basketball, he’d always join his brother Alex and their friends for a round robin-style hockey tournament in their backyard. While it was originally dubbed the Gatorade Cup, the annual tourney has taken on another form.

“I really want to do my own thing to, you know, keep his memory alive,” said Alex Haapajoki. “So we decided to do a tournament for him, and never in our wildest dreams would we have thought that we’d have 45 teams in a year, 30 teams a year, and hundreds of spectators going out. Like, we never thought that would happen. So it started with just playing backyard pond hockey into something so much more for a great cause around mental health and in memory of my brother.”

Following Jake’s passing, Alex not only founded the tournament, but also Smiles for Jake, an organization dedicated towards helping combat mental illness – a battle many face on a daily basis.

“Mental health hasn’t been talked about. 10 years ago, it wasn’t a thing,” said Alex. “And now these past five years, our organization, Smiles for Jake, and many others have completely stamped out the stigma around that. And they keep doing it across the country, which is so important, you know, because a lot of people struggle to talk about those things. And I think it’s important that people realize that you can talk about those things.”

For five years, Alex and many others have continued to organize this event and draw in many from the Brainerd community looking to enjoy some backyard hockey. But more than that, the Haapajoki Memorial Cup is where people aside minute differences like city and state lines and come together in the name of raising awareness for a worldwide problem.

“[There’s] people from North Dakota, people from Wisconsin, people from all over the state. We got some Moorhead Spuds, our rival here, coming out to play, and that honestly warms my heart because, you know, we’re rivals in high school and stuff,” explained Alex. “But when it comes to things serious, like mental health, just shows that they support us too, which is phenomenal. And I think that’s just in general the culture of Minnesota and the Midwest. So it’s pretty awesome.”

And to those currently enduring the toll depression can take, Alex has one simple but powerful message.

“I would say that there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” said Alex. “Know that you are loved. You are loved. There’s someone out there that needs you and the world is better with you in it.”

Those looking to contribute to the Smiles For Jake movement can visit the organizations website here.

If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.