Fans, curlers and the organizing committee alike were pleased with how the 2018 Viterra Scotties Women’s Provincials went.
Corrie Fischl, chair of the event’s organizing committee, said she thought everything went fantastic: the weather outside, the volunteers, the ice and the attendance.
“From what we saw, it was way far better attended than the last provincial event we held, so we’re just really happy with it,” she said.
All throughout the event, held Jan. 2 to 7, the curlers participating in the event said they were pleased with the event and how it was organized.
“The city of Melfort and the volunteers are doing a fantastic job,” said Christie Gamble, Team Eberle’s third, on Jan. 4. “This is an absolutely wonderful event. The ice is fantastic, the volunteers are fantastic, great ticket sales and we’re just so excited and happy to be playing in this and we really want to thank the people of Melfort who put all of this together.”
Robyn Silvernagle, Team Silvernagle’s skip, expressed similar sentiments Jan. 5.
“It’s been a great event so far. The ice has been amazing, the host committee – everyone – has been so good. You can’t ask for any more than that, when you have optimal conditions to be your best.”
Even the winners said what they thought about the event, unprompted, just after their final victory.
“We can’t say enough good things about the facility and the ice all week,” said Krista Fesser, Team S. Anderson’s second.
“It was a good event. The host committee, volunteers, everyone was amazing.” said Kourtney Fesser, Team S. Anderson’s third.
Fischl said having good ice for the curlers to play on was key.
“The ladies all had really good things to say about the ice and so that’s really important in a provincial event like that,” she said. “You want to make sure that they can compete at the best level possible. You want to give them the best to play on.”
The Melfort Curling Club aims to raise $50,000 from the event. While the numbers are yet to be calculated, Fischl said she believes they’ve met – if not exceeded – that goal.
The organizing committee chair acknowledged the support from the Melfort community and from the fans from both inside and outside the city.
“Hopefully that means that our club, as well as other clubs in the area, will just continue to bring these types of events to the area because they’re fantastic events to hold to highlight your community.”
