The very first Kurling for Kids (K4K) event in Manitoba proved to be a success in Altona last weekend.
K4K is a charity that supports children’s hospitals. They’ve been putting on fundraising bonspiels in Quebec for decades, but on Saturday were at the Altona Curling Club to raise money for the Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation.
“We didn’t get more than eight teams, but even with half of the teams that we had wanted, we still managed to raise over $10,000,” says Sandy Friesen, regional manager for K4K in Manitoba.
Photos by Edward Vincent Arcenal/Voice
The day in fact brought in $11,120 for BTHC to purchase medical equipment for its growing pediatrics program.
Guest speakers shared with curlers a bit about how the funds will be used and the impact the program has on local families.
“We had Dr. Don Klassen speak, and we had Dylan Wiebe share about his experience with his daughter, and it was very moving,” shares Friesen. Wiebe’s daughter spent months in hospital in Winnipeg as a newborn. The family’s story highlights “how important it would be to have something closer, to be able to have more family around, and just how important the pediatrics program is at BTHC.”
Plans are already in the works to host the K4K bonspiel again next year.
“We had such a positive response,” Friesen says, thanking everyone who came out to curl or who supported the event with donations or sponsorships.
“It was such a fun day,” she adds. “I had people saying, ‘Sign us up for next year’ and ‘I’m looking forward to doing this for the next 25 years.’
“Hopefully next year it’ll be bigger, better, more teams, maybe more clubs,” Friesen says, noting other curling clubs in Manitoba are welcome to reach out to K4K to learn about hosting their own fundraising competition for a local hospital.
You can learn more online at www.kurlingforkids.org.
