Starting today (Wednesday, Oct. 16), a program will get underway in local schools to promote curling and spur extra interest in the 2019-2020 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling Humpty’s Champions Cup.
Olds will be hosting that event next spring, from April 29 to May 3 at the Sportsplex.
Organizers say it will be the largest sporting event ever hosted in Olds with 24 of the world’s best men’s and women’s teams competing for the last Grand Slam event of the season.
To help get kids familiarized with the sport, the Olds Junior Curling program, with help from the Town of Olds, is offering the Egg Farmers Rocks & Rings program, presented by Curling Canada. The idea is to help promote the Pinty’s event as well as local junior curling.
Rocks & Rings is an interactive introduction to curling geared towards students in kindergarten through Grade 8. Students learn skills such as teamwork, co-operation, and sportsmanship while participating in a fun, physical activity.
“Our goal is to help promote curling, sports and active lifestyles,” Mayor Michael Muzychka says. “We hope Rocks & Rings will spark interest with youth, get them geared up for the Champions Cup, come next spring."
Olds Curling Club president Jeff Miller likes the idea.
"Based on past Pinty’s events, we are optimistic schools will have additional opportunities to be involved when the Humpty’s Champions Club comes," he says.
“Having our youth participate in the Rocks & Rings Program will really augment their experience when world championship curling comes to Olds.”
It is expected that 1,350 students in seven local schools will participate in the program.
It starts on Oct. 16 at École Olds Elementary School and ends on Oct. 30 at Bowden Grandview School.
The other five schools participating in the program are École Deer Meadow School, Holy Trinity Catholic School, Olds Koinonia Christian School, Reed Ranch School, and Horizon School.
Rocks & Rings was launched in 2009. Since its inception it has reached more than 1.7 million students, sharing the sport of curling in schools gyms across Canada.
This story was written with files from the Town of Olds.
