GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT // REPORTS FROM THE WARM ROOM
Community gives back with scholarship programs
By Kim Nawyn, Director of Growth & Development
Since 2004, the Portage Curling Club in Por-
and raising money for local charities are com- mon activities. A growing number of clubs also offer scholarship programs for local curlers or other community members in need. While some of these programs have been developed by curl- ing clubs, others have been designed by family members to honor the memory of a loved one with a passion for the sport. Many members of the Wausau Curling Club
T
in Wausau, Wis., remember three-time national champion (twice in mixed and once in wom- en’s) and seven-time Wisconsin state champion Marcia Tillisch as the person who taught them to curl. While Tillisch spent many years on the competitive bonspiel and championship circuit, her tireless passion for training new curlers and love of the sport helped to grow her home club. Each year, she organized Wausau’s Rookie Clin- ic and Rookie League. She also spent countless hours informally training new curlers. When Tillisch unexpectedly passed away following re- moval of a brain tumor in 2014, her family decid- ed that establishing a scholarship geared toward female curlers pursuing higher education would be an appropriate way to honor her memory and the ideals that were important to her. Te first Marcia A. Tillisch Memorial Scholarship was awarded this May. In 2012, Elizabeth Busche was a college stu-
dent on the dean’s list and promising young curler. Previously competing at Mixed Nation- als (Busche was the only junior who qualified for the event in 2011) and several other national championships, Busche was ecstatic to win the USA Curling Junior Women’s National Champi- onship in 2012. Playing vice skip on Team Cory Christensen, she went on to represent the Unit- ed States at the World Junior Championships in Ostersund, Sweden. When Busche passed away following a brief battle with an aggressive form of cancer only two months later, her par- ents decided to honor her memory by providing
4 ))
usacurl.org
Te first Marcia A. Tillisch Memorial Curling Scholarship was presented by Cal Tillisch to Olivia Roeske-Kretzer of Wausau West High School on May 4, 2016.
educational giſts to curlers who are successfully balancing competitive curling and higher edu- cation. Each year two students who compete at the Elizabeth Busche Memorial Junior Bonspiel at the Duluth Curling Club in Duluth, Minn., are awarded $500 to be used toward educational expenses. Recipients must already be pursuing a post-secondary degree, have played down in their state/region, and compete in the competi- tive division of the bonspiel. Te Centerville Curling Club and Portage
Curling Club in Wisconsin both have strong high school curling programs and annual scholarship programs. For the past 16 seasons, the Cen- terville Curling Club in Centerville, Wis., has awarded $500-$1,000 in scholarships to gradu- ating seniors who are enrolled in an institution of higher learning for the upcoming school year. A scholarship fund is in place to ensure the club can offer this assistance to local graduates each year if money is not available from the general fund. Recipients must have curled at the club during high school, junior high, or be a child of a current member of the club. Te application in- cludes essays on sportsmanship and involvement in the sport of curling.
here are many ways in which curling clubs give back to their communities. Volunteering in community events
tage, Wis., has hosted its annual Alumni Bon- spiel. Income from the event is primarily used to fund scholarships for graduating seniors who are active participants in high school curling. To date, more than $30,000 in scholarships have been awarded. Te bonspiel, which was inspired by a successful community alumni basketball tournament, attracts 34-40 teams each year. While all participants were originally re-
quired to have attended a school in the Portage system or be a current or former teacher in the city, spouses of alumni are currently also allowed to compete. With a guarantee of three, four-end games and a points system to determine the win- ner, the emphasis is on fun. For the past 28 years, the St. Paul Curling Club
has held the Ranger Spiel, a bonspiel organized by the Twin Cities Iron Ranger Association. Te event, which includes traditional Iron Range cuisine, live polka music, and various games and raffles, is designed to raise money to sup- port “education and families on the Iron Range,” an area that was hit hard by a downturn in the iron ore mining industry in the United States. In 2016, the event raised $12,000 for scholarship programs at the four Iron Range community col- leges and approximately $12,000 for a program that provides weekend food supplies to students with need to help them focus on school rather than hunger. Anyone interested in starting a scholarship
or educational giſt program should check IRS guidelines. Numerous sources on the Internet can also help provide guidance to develop a pro- gram that best suits the objectives of the club or individuals. Q
Make plans to attend the upcoming Members’ Assembly
Check out the two summer electronic edi-
tions of the U.S. Curling News for more in- formation on the third annual USA Curling Members’ Assembly this October in Arizona.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50