A spokesperson for the 14th annual Optimist U18 curling championships made a pitch for increased financial support from the Township at the Dec. 16 afternoon meeting of council, proposing a donation of $8,500 to help fund an awards banquet.
Al Kersey, the president of the Optimist Junior International Curling Club, said event organizers estimate it will cost $111,000 to stage but will generate economic benefits of around $500,000 from players, coaches and supporters shopping and staying in local hotels.
“My arithmetic says we’ve generated 3,000 kid-years of fun [over the 13 years the competition has been held],” Kersey told council.
The Township has already budgeted a $5,000 contribution for the event.
The request for more funding was referred to a council committee for study.
The Optimist championships will be held April 2 to 6 at the Langley Curling Club and the Cloverdale Curling Club.
It will host 24 teams invited from across the country as well as the U.S., Asian Pacific countries and Europe.
Since the first championships were held in 2001, the event has grown from a regional championship into an international competition held in various location including Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg.
