The town of Wilke has seen incredible community support in their past bids for Kraft Hockeyville. This year they hope to take home the top prize, which would provide some much-needed repairs to the local rink. (Submitted photos/Helen Urlacher)

By Martin Martinson

Hockeytown, Sask.

Wilkie announces bid for Kraft Hockeyville 2021

Jan 7, 2021 | 6:15 PM

Few things bring the community together in small town Saskatchewan like gathering at the local rink; and perhaps no community in the province is a more shining example of that than the town of Wilkie.

From weddings and graduations, to countless other events, and of course hockey games; as local Helen Urlacher so eloquently put it, ‘the rink serves as the heartbeat of the Wilkie community.’

That is why, for the third time in the last five years, Urlacher and fellow campaign organizer Kathy Heilman have spearheaded a group of community-minded individuals, who have submitted the town for the annual Kraft Hockeyville competition, hosted by Kraft Heinz Canada, in participation with the National Hockey League (NHL) and NHL Players Association.

Now heading into its 15^th year, Kraft Hockeyville is a national contest in which communities compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport.

Each year, the grand prize winner is awarded $250,000 to put towards local arena upgrades, along with the chance to host a preseason NHL game. Runner-up communities are also awarded smaller cash prizes to put towards arena refurbishing and repairs.

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Should Wilkie’s bid prove successful this year, they would become the first Saskatchewan-based community to be awarded the honour.

That title is what the community has been building towards. In 2017 Wilkie finished top 10, and in 2019 the community made it to the final four.

It was an experience Urlacher said only fuels her fire to continue to push for the top spot, now in 2021.

“Having Sportsnet come out to make a video and do the announcement was amazing,” she said. “It was an experience I know I will never forget, and it brought this community up to a level of enthusiasm like I’ve never seen before. I think it really made people from here proud as a community.”

Now, going on two years later, the local rink is in as dire a need as ever for the financial support, after experiencing problems with their ice-making plant in the last year.

Urlacher said the $250,000 could take care of the community’s plant, while also helping to fix up the dressing rooms, and provide repairs to the glass in the lobby area. She said returning the facility to its full capabilities would prove invaluable to ensuring it remains a staple of the community’s social fabric for many years to come.

“I’m not one to give up on things I’m passionate about, and I am passionate about this community of Wilkie,” Urlacher said. “I would like to see the passion come alive in all the community’s members if we won Kraft Hockeyville, and – if we did win – that would make all the effort and all the late nights worth it… It would truly be priceless.”

Urlacher is encouraging people to nominate WIlkie and head to Krafthockeyville.ca for contest details and scoring procedures. Those interested can also post stories and pictures of the Wilke rink to raise points for the community as well.

The communities with the most nominations will advance to the finals, where the final results will be determined by a vote.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1