Rodney Mitchell, left, being presented the Brian Smith Memorial Award by coach Carl Kruger for being Melfort Special Olympics' most outstanding athlete for 2019. Both will travel to Thunder Bay, Ontario in February 2020 for the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. (submitted photo/Carl Kruger)

By Aaron Schulze

Melfort Special Olympics

Melfort Special Olympics holding its major fundraiser months away from a national appearance

Aug 26, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Residents in the City of Melfort can expect knocks on their doors from avid bottle collectors during the week.

Melfort Special Olympics will hold its annual bottle drive – its major fundraiser – on Tuesday, Aug. 27 and Wednesday, Aug. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. both nights.

Carl Kruger, a coach for Melfort Special Olympics, said funds raised from the bottle drive goes to their general revenue. It’s also expected to go to their curling team’s trip to Thunder Bay, Ontario for the 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in February.

“It costs $1,350 to send one athlete,” Kruger said. “With five of them going, it’s quite expensive.”

The Melfort Special Olympics curling team will represent Team Saskatchewan in the 2020 winter games after previously winning provincials in Regina. Kruger is an assistant coach for the curling team, and is expected to be travelling with curlers Garnet Gerski, Scot Earl, Rodney Mitchell, Kyle Hartt, Team Skip Daniel Fiedelleck, and Head Coach Brian Kjelshus.

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Kruger said nearly half of their fundraising for the Melfort Special Olympics curling team’s trip is complete, although there’s no other major fundraiser expected until the Christmas Raffle in the fall.

Athletes and volunteers from Melfort Special Olympics hope to cover the entire city by going door-to-door asking for recyclable items but Kruger said residents who won’t be available at their homes have an alternate way to donate.

“If anybody is willing to donate their bottles, they can drop them off at SARCAN Recycling at any time in the next couple of weeks and say it’s for Melfort Special Olympics and they’ll donate it to us,” he said.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow