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(File Photo/northeastNOW Staff)
Needed Repairs

Melfort & District curling club fundraising to replace worn out ice plant ahead of next season

Mar 24, 2022 | 2:56 PM

The Melfort & District Curling Club is undergoing much-needed renovations during their offseason.

Typically, their season ends at the start of April. But his year, they had to shut down a week earlier due to issues with the rink’s ice plant—more specifically, the chiller.

Kerrie de Gooijer, chair of the revitalization project, told northeastNOW their equipment was pretty much running on fumes.

“Everything is 50 years old, and they’re supposed to last 30 years. So they’ve done well, served their purpose.”

Along with the ice plant, the club wants to fix the building’s roof. The total cost for all the renovations will be over six figures as the ice plant is expected to cost $110,000 by itself.

de Gooijer said the chiller is the main piece that needs to be fixed before the start of the next season in early November. They’re also confident they’ll be able to open up in time.

“At the start of this season, we knew it was one its last leg so in December we started getting a bunch of quotes, having a bunch of contractors come out and take a look at things, and in January we made a big fundraising proposal.”

They’ve reached out to different organizations and businesses in the northeast and have gotten a good response so far.

The club is also holding its second annual wine survivor fundraiser with half of the funds raised going towards the renovations.

Based on the popular reality tv show, people can buy tickets along with immunity to try and become the last one picked to win a grand prize worth, at most, around $2,800.

de Gooijer noted people can form groups and make the experience as close to the show as possible.

“We don’t need to know who the alliances are… it’s something you can do on the side with friends.”

Tickets are available until Mar. 27, 2022, with the draws taking place over the next couple of days. More information, including how to get tickets, can be found on the Melfort Curling Club’s social media pages.

Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow

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