Helen Urlacher is spearheading Wilkie's Kraft Hockeyville Campaign. : Tyler Marr

By Tyler Marr

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Wilkie readies for Kraft Hockeyville announcement

Mar 3, 2019 | 9:17 PM

A buzzing Town of Wilkie will be packed inside the SaskCan Community Centre in mid-March, waiting with bated breath to see if they make the top four in the Kraft Hockeyville competition.

For weeks, Helen Urlacher, who is spearheading the campaign, has blanketed the town with Kraft Hockeyville signs and posted to social media countless images from businesses around Wilkie.

Kraft Hockeyville has run for 13 years and a Saskatchewan community has never won, according to Urlacher.

“We are determined we are going to be the first,” she said.

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This year marks the third year in a row the community has vied for the title. In 2017, Wilkie made it into the top 10 and received $25,000 for arena upgrades, which were profoundly welcomed after a deviating fire tore through the building in 2015.

The funds were used alongside grants to get the community back into the building, which also houses a hockey and curling rink. Last year, Wilkie again entered the race, but Urlacher and fellow committee member Kathy Heilman quickly opted to lend support to the City of Fernie’s bid, after an ammonia leak at their arena killed three men.

Urlacher brought Wilkie’s Hockeyville signs to Fernie and went around the city with then-Mayor Mary Giuliano and the minor hockey club to take photos and offer assistance to their organizing committee.

“I now have friends forever in Fernie,” she said.

The winner of Kraft Hockeyville receives $250,000 and an NHL pre-season game.

Should they win, Urlacher said the money would be used for further upgrades. She said the rink has issues with the board glass, noting a few sheets keep breaking and they don’t know why, and a full replacement would carry a massive cost. Anything left over would likely be placed in an account for future repairs and upgrades.

Urlacher invited anyone interested to join them on March 16 at the community centre as they await the news.

—

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr