INNISFAIL – Another long-standing annual tradition of seven days of community spirit, fellowship and fun competition at the Innisfail Curling Club is in the books.
The 72nd annual Innisfail Farmers and Farmerettes Bonspiel put another stamp on cementing the respect and admiration between the farming and business communities. This year’s bonspiel ran from Jan. 14 to 20, finishing with a banquet on the final day.
Todd Marshall, vice-chair of the bonspiel, said the weeklong tournament featured 15 ladies’ team, down one from last year, and 32 men’s teams, for a total of almost 200 curlers from all over Central Alberta, including Red Deer, Torrington, Olds, Sundre, Sylvan Lake, and of course Innisfail.
"We usually have 16 ladies’ team, and we had that number at one point, but at the last minute one team had to drop out for whatever reason,” said Marshall. "We tried to get another team together but it was too late in the process to be able to do it.”
As always, the tourney was all about saluting the long-standing relationship between the farming and business communities. For the competition, each team had to have two farmers, either retired or current. Every team was drawn one business person and allowed to bring in one other curler, with some teams choosing another farmer or a curler from the business community.
In the end it was about building on the long-standing respectful and friendly relationship between the two communities.
"They curl together. They have lunch together. They have a few beverages after the game together, and we wrap up the bonspiel at the end of the week with a banquet, and everybody brings their spouses and they sit together at the banquet as a group as well,” said Marshall, adding the business community always eagerly supports the event.
"We get excellent support from them from a sponsorship standpoint. There are times when people are coming to us to ask us to get into the bonspiel, so we are not actually having to go to them as they are coming to us, which is just fantastic.
"They really see the value,” added Marshall. "A lot of people who are in this spiel are some of their best customers and they want to support that and yes, come out and have a week of fun, fellowship, and there is excellent curling as well.”
And when the last rock was thrown on Friday night (Jan. 19), the winning men’s and ladies’ teams had plenty of reasons to smile. Aside from the week of fun and fellowship, each lady from the winning women’s team received a sterling silver watch, while members of the winning men’s team each received sterling silver buckles. Montana Silversmiths provided the awards.
"I think everybody had fun. Everybody had been well fed,” said Marshall. "That was the goal at the start of the week, for everybody to have a good time with the businesses and farmers, and I think we accomplished that goal.”
Todd Marshall, vice-chair of the 72nd annual Innisfail Farmers and Farmerettes Bonspiel
"They curl together. They have lunch together. They have a few beverages after the game together, and we wrap up the bonspiel at the end of the week with a banquet, and everybody brings their spouses and they sit together at the banquet as a group as well."
