The Canadian Curling Association’s Rocks and Rings program will continue to introduce youth to the game for another four years.The newly rebranded CCA Rocks and Rings is building off a record 2013-14 academic year, which saaw the program visit 1,456 schools and get 228,162 students involved, not to mention their family members, teachers and other school staff.
In Penticton, Sherrie Burechailo runs the program.
“I think it’s a fantastic program,” said Burechailo, who last year reached out to the elementary schools in the area and shared her love of the sport with kids who may not get the chance to experience it.
Burechailo spent entire days in school gymnasiums setting up and doing 40-minute presentations with as many as eight classes a day. This season she has done a session in Peachland, but none in Penticton yet. Any schools interested in booking a session are asked to contact her at curlgurl71@yahoo.ca.
As part of the agreement, the CCA’s For The Love of Curling philanthropic program, which raises funds for junior curling and curling centres across the country, will be the charity of choice for CCA Rocks and Rings.
“We couldn’t be happier to continue our affiliation with Rocks and Rings and take a leading role in helping expose our sport to hundreds of thousands of young people across Canada,” said Greg Stremlaw, chief executive officer of the CCA in a release. “Rocks and Rings has been a huge success story over the years, and it was only natural that we continue our partnership through the 2018 Winter Olympics.”
Rocks and Rings, introduced in 2009, has visited nearly 5,000 schools with an estimated 700,000 participants. The program uses curling equipment that has been adapted to gymnasium surfaces, but closely simulates on-ice conditions. Support from the For The Love of Curling program will help the goal of reaching the one-milllion-participant plateau.
For information on CCA Rocks & Rings, go to rocksandrings.com.
Donors to For The Love of Curling can help ensure the CCA Rocks & Rings program reaches communities across the country, and connect with more budding curlers who wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to fall in love with curling.
