GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT // THE LOCAL DRAW
Curling community well known for its giving, welcoming ways
By Carrie Benton, U.S. Curling News columnist
munity are among the best you will ever meet. We tell our non-curling friends that our curl- ing community is strong and supportive. I’d like to take the opportunity to highlight just why these sentiments are so accurate. Each year during the curling season, our lo- cal curling clubs host numerous events to raise funds in support of various organizations. Tese organizations can be involved with research to stop disease, providing food for the hungry, sup- porting education, etc. Te organizations can be nationally recognized or closer to home. Our clubs and their members step up to the
W
plate (or should I say hack?) and make it official: our sport and our members are awesome! Fol- lowing are just a few examples of the many events held each year to benefit a chosen organization: Te Duluth Curling Club in Minnesota will
host its 16th House of Hearts bonspiel in March of 2017. Tis event features skips from around the world who have raised funds for a local hos- pital cardiology department and more recently, for Project Joy, which is a backpack program in- tended to feed children over the weekends when they might not have access to nutritious food at home. Project Joy was founded by the Plys family in honor of husband and father Patrick Plys, an avid curler and community advocate from Du- luth. Te House of Hearts features an online auc- tion during which you can bid to play with celeb- rity skips. In addition, fans and players vote for which skips will play in a celebrity skins game. Votes raise funds, of course! Tere is dinner, dancing, and socializing galore at the House of Hearts. To say that this event boasts a party-like atmosphere would be a massive understatement! To date, the House of Hearts has raised more than $385,000 in support of their local charities. Te Madison Curling Club in Wis-
consin has held its “Curl for the Cure” event for 15 years. “Curl for the Cure” has raised more than $125,000 to assist
18
usacurl.org ))
e oſten refer to ourselves as a curling community. We say that folks in the curling com-
features non-curlers learning the game and sup- porting their favorite charities (teams get to choose what charity they wish to raise funds for). Experienced curlers act as coaches for these teams during the event. Te “Charity Challenge” has been held for an amazing 17 years and is still going strong! What a great way to introduce new curlers to the sport and support your local com- munity! Te “Ranger Spiel,” held at the St. Paul Curl-
researchers in finding a cure for cancer. Te funds are directed to the University of Wiscon- sin Carbone Cancer Center. Te event features an open format, food, fun, and, of course, the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to a worthwhile cause. Family, friends, and co-work- ers support the event by pledging additional funds to their favorite curlers. Te participants have a three-game guarantee along with lots of hospitality and fellowship. As an example of how this type of bonspiel
spurs others to action, Te Denver Curling Club in Colorado just hosted its first “Curl for the Cure” partnering with Rally for the Cure and the Susan G Komen organizations. Te event was kicked off with a welcome and reiteration of the goal of the event followed by a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace” in a beautiful tribute to those lost to cancer. Curlers were then “piped” onto the ice in true Scottish tradition. Te bon- spiel featured a draw-the-button contest, a “Curl for the Cure” specialty drink called “Pretty in Pink” sangria, and a great silent auction that raise more than $8,000. Well done, Denver! Utica Curling Club in New York hosts a
unique event to raise funds for local charities. Te “Charity Challenge” is an open format that
ing Club, raises scholarship monies for Minne- sota’s Iron Range Community College system (four separate schools) and for the Buddy Back- pack Program that, like Project Joy, provides weekend food supplies for at-risk students. Te event, held since 1989, is organized by club mem- bers with ties to the Iron Range located in north- ern Minnesota. Te “Ranger Spiel” hospitality features popular Iron Range favorites like pas- ties, porketta, wild rice, and potica. More than $100,000 has been raised in support of education on the Iron Range. Lastly, a newer event, “Lupus Spiel USA” will
hold its fourth bonspiel at Four Seasons Curl- ing Club in Blaine, Minn., this year. With a for- mat similar to the House of Hearts, this event raises funds for lupus research. Featuring celeb- rity skips, silent and live auctions, and a dinner/ dance, more than $110,000 has been raised in just three years with funds directed to the Mayo Clinic lupus research program. If you are doing the math, these events alone
have raised more than $720,000 for charitable causes and organizations. Tis is just a sampling of what I know is a vast number of events held in curling clubs all over the country. We haven’t even touched on all of the events that are hosted in support of individual club members who may be struggling with illness or other fi- nancial need. I think we can safely say that curlers ARE,
in fact, among the most generous and sup- portive people on the planet! Awesome job, everyone! Q
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