Medstead curlers taking part in their annual barefoot curling fundraiser, at their season wrap up open bonspiel. (Submitted photo/MADRA)

By Angela Brown

"Raise the Barn"

Group asks for votes for Medstead curling rink fundraiser

Nov 6, 2023 | 5:09 PM

A volunteer community group hopes to raise enough money to upgrade the Medstead curling rink with this fundraiser.

If the Medstead and District Recreation Association (MADRA) receives enough votes it has a chance of winning $20,000 in the “Raise the Barn” competition.

MADRA already received $8,000 in funding as a regional winner.

“We applied for the funding for our curling rink ice plant [through] Simplot Grower Solutions in Medstead,” MADRA member Jacqueline Drieschner said. “One application was selected per province… We were selected as regional winners. Right now, we are in an online voting competition for an additional $20,000 to get our curling rink ice plant back up and running.”

Simplot Grower Solutions first heard about the competition and invited MADRA to apply, to try to raise money for the rink.

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“They had to sponsor us basically to apply,” Drieschner explained.

In 2022, the curling ice plant failed and needed to be replaced.

Drieschner said some of the challenges facing MADRA include financial struggles due to the pandemic. The association also didn’t want to use money that would normally be applied for its other recreation programs, like hockey and figure skating clubs.

“We started looking at different grants and fundraising we could do,” Drieschner said. “Then, we ended up applying for this competition… If we win the 20 grand it will go straight into repairing our curling plant.”

She noted to buy a new ice plant would cost around $60,000 in total. Instead, the group decided to purchase a used ice plant to reduce the cost.

MADRA is asking people to go online and vote for them, with the hope of winning the $20,000 up for grabs.

People will need to look for the regional finalists, click Vote Now, enter their email address and vote for the Curling Rink Ice Plant in Medstead, then hit submit. They can vote once per day per email until Nov. 15.

The total cost to re-do the ice plant is estimated at $20,000 without labour.

If the labour is donated, MADRA hopes to use all the $20,000 on the plant, and use the $8,000 it already won to purchase some wooden curling stones to jump-start a youth program, because the wooden stones are lighter to push.

“Then, the young kids can get a rock all the way down to the other end of the ice, learn how to throw them and learn how rocks curl,” Drieschner said.

MADRA also plans to hold a fundraiser fall supper this Wednesday to raise donations.

Work on repairing the old ice plant is gradually moving along.

“We’ve already ripped out of all the old piping. We have all the new piping. We have everything ordered to get the plant up and running this year,” Drieschner said. “Between the $8,000 we already got, and the fall supper, that should pay for the new plant piping. If we win the extra 20 grand, that’s just a cherry on top of it back into the curling rink, to get the plant running.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow