Melfort Special Olympics' curling team will hit the ice for the first time this season when they host their bonspiel at the Melfort Curling Club on Saturday, Nov. 9. (Facebook/Melfort Special Olympics)

By Aaron Schulze

Melfort Special O

Melfort Special Olympics curling team begins season with weekend bonspiel at home

Nov 7, 2019 | 11:55 AM

Off the ice, Melfort Special Olympics has been preparing its curling team for the 2020 national winter games in Thunder Bay, Ont. in February.

Melfort’s Special Olympics curling team attended a training camp in September and a leadership program in October, as part of the conditions they must meet in order to represent Team Saskatchewan on the national stage. They also need to participate in two bonspiels before the winter games begin.

The curling team will cross one of those two bonspiels off their list when they host their own tournament on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Melfort Curling Club from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Carl Kruger is an assistant coach for the curling team. He’s joined by Head Coach Brian Kjelshus, Garnet Gerski, Scot Earl, Rodney Mitchell, Kyle Hartt, Team Skip Daniel Fiedelleck. He said there won’t be anything massive on the line during their bonspiel.

“There will probably be a little bit of bragging rights,” Kruger told northeastNOW. “But most of it is just to get tuned up and get everyone back into curling mode. Monday night was our first practice so we’re just getting into the actual curling now to get prepared for the games.”

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Six teams will be visiting Melfort for the bonspiel, with the furthest competitors travelling from Weyburn.

Kruger said there will be no admission charge for the bonspiel, with their fundraising to send the curling team’s athletes and coaches to Thunder Bay for the winter games being nearly complete. Melfort Special Olympics has fundraisers such as Chase the Ace in December and a puck drop at a Melfort Mustangs game in February around the corner, but those funds will go toward general funding for athletes.

The Melfort Special Olympics curling team will attend their second required bonspiel in Regina in January 2020.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow