Come check out the ultimate Canadian football prize
The Selkirk Canoe & Kayak Club(SCKC) will be hosting an official Grey Cup appearance with the RCMP Honour Guard and Keeper of the Grey Cup on Sept. 20.
The event is taking place thanks to a unique local connection that an area resident has to the Grey Cup.
“Bonny’s husband is the silversmith for the Grey Cup. And, of course, we’ve had some instances where we had to do some serious repairs, and we’ve also had to do some touch-ups. So, I mean, it’s been a relationship that has gone on for a number of years, and, of course, it’s gotten personal. Then we found out what Bonny and Robert are doing (with the SCKC), and it incited a large flame in all of us here at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. We said, ‘How can we help support this program that needs some funding’,” said Jeff McWhinney, Keeper of the Grey Cup.
The SCKC is an organization that not only supports local paddlers of all sorts but also makes getting out on the water more accessible in our community.
“One thing very dear to our club is that we do have affordable paddling opportunities of all types of crafts, whether it’s kayaking, canoeing, dragon boating, or paddle boarding available for people of all backgrounds and all abilities. So that’s sort of been what we’ve been doing for the last few years, really heavy duty focused on that area,” said Bonny Wynnobel, Director on the SCKC board.
In order to be able to fund these opportunities for all, which include summer camps for kids, an accessible dock, as well as four accessible kayaks, they used to have a very competitive team out of the club. There were some funding cuts that slowed down that opportunity but the SCKC are ready to fundraise to get back to that competitive level so that they can continue to offer programming for all in our community.
One of the major things that they are hoping to bring to Selkirk is to get top-notch coaching in place.
McWhinney said that the philosophy of coaching at the SCKC and the lessons that he learned from his father, Glenn McWhinney, who was a Blue Bomber, are the same because coaching in all sports and at all levels is very important.
“When you have a great coach, you teach the right ways to do certain progressions, whether it’s blocking, passing, running and tackling, we want to make sure it’s injury free. Of course, we want to make sure we have the right coaches for the kayaking and canoeing program, because you could do certain things that could actually hurt yourself, and that’s (true) with any sport. We need the right coaching, we need the right directive, so we become better, and so we meet that obligation of making this a better place. And as my dad said, ‘We all belong, every one of us’,” said McWhinney.
But to get all of this coaching going, they need to fundraise, and so they hope that people will come out to see the Grey Cup. Photos with the Cup are going to be $10, and tickets for a draw to get a 90-minute visit with the Grey Cup in your home are going for $2.
The event itself is going to not just be a fun time but also a chance for newcomers to check out the SCKC.
“It’s going to be at our club, because that’s one thing we want to do, we want to bring people to the club so they can see where we actually are located in Selkirk Park, because we find people (don’t know where we are). So, we’re highlighting the location. We’re going to start off at nine o’clock, (and) the event is from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. We have to stay within that window, because that’s when the cup is available and we’re going to have some fundraising,” said Wynnobel.
The SCKC is in a beautiful, but slightly hidden away part of the Selkirk Park that more people ought to know about, even if they aren’t paddlers. To get to this event, you’ll want to travel to Selkirk Park on Dyke Rd. behind the skate park. If the day is a rainy one, the event will be moved to the Agricultural Building in Selkirk Park.
“We’re hoping that we’ve made it affordable so that everyone can come,” said Wynnobel.
She welcomes anyone interested in attending to stop by this event.
“Come out. Check it out. Come in and enjoy (yourselves), come and see the club. And you know what? You may even want to go for a dragon boat paddle. We’re going to have our dragon boat out there, too,” she said.
Wynnobel also mentioned that there will be coffee and muffins there too.
