Bonspiel rocks for kids

BY ALBERT KRAMBERGER

editor@transcontinental.ca

From a modest $7,000 raised at its inaugural event, the 15th annual Kurling for Kids charity bonspiel took in a whopping $126,000 on Saturday.

The beneficiaries are the Montreal Children’s Hospital and St. Justine’s Hospital, who, respectively, have requested the funds raised this year be used to purchase an automatic DNA extractor and a Cavitron ultrasonic aspirator.

This year’s goal was to raise an ambitious $125,000, which has been surpassed, boasted Pointe Claire organizer Ankur Barthakur, adding close to 400 curlers participated. About $101,500 was raised last year.

“The hospitals ask us to buy something they need, not just to give cash,” he said. “We do it for the kids.

“We have no overhead, every cent goes to charity, there are no leftovers,”

he added.

A total of nine Montreal-area curling clubs participated this year, including the Baie d’Urfé, Glenmore, Lachine, Pointe Claire and Ste. Anne de Bellevue rinks.

“This is a great event for the curling clubs to get involved with the community and to give back a little for the kids,” said Baie d’Urfé organizer Carl Mainguy, an Ile Bizard resident. “It’s also a great way to promote curling.”

Mainguy is one of the co-founders of the event but said until he joined the Baie d’Urfé club this past winter, he only curled once a year.

The spring charity bonspiel wraps up the season for local clubs. “One of our sales pitches (for Kurling for Kids) is that it’s open to club members but also for people who have never curled before and want to try,” Mainguy said.

Funds for the hospitals as well as for facility costs are raised through raffle tickets, entry fees, T-shirt and tuque sales. While it is a fun bonspiel, trophies are handed out at each rink.

There is still time to support this year’s event as raffle tickets are on sale until a draw is held April 13. For tickets or more information, e-mail info@kurlingforkids.com or check www.kurlingforkids.com.ї