On the cold winter Saturday of Feb. 10, the women of Medstead got together to embrace the season with the time-honoured sport of curling. The festivities ran all throughout the day, with the early birds having the chance to get a hot breakfast, starting at 7:30 a.m. and running for two hours.
The first of the games began at 8 a.m. with the excitement flowing through the day, leading up to the last game of the bonspiel, at 4 p.m. The event itself is being hosted by the Medstead Curling Club, a division of the Medstead and District Recreation Association (MADRA). The proceeds of the event go in part to pay for services such as the ‘ice man’ and the remainder goes back to the curling club for future events.
This particular bonspiel was organized by Kristine Raess and Arin Findlay, two Medstead citizens with true community participation and spirit. Each team has four participants; while different bonspiels have different turnouts, six teams make for a full arena and a day brimming with amusement. According to Raess, the curlers participating cover a broad range in terms of experience. Some curl but once a year and others have been involved with curling for their whole lives. Diverse experience levels such as this make the competition all the more fun for those participating.
After the final game, supper followed at 5:30 p.m., also at the arena. Donations from local business Cavalier Agrow allowed for the breakfast of curling champions, while Hometown Grocery, according to Raess, catered the dinner.
Locals gathered to snack, cheer and compete on a fairly warm winter day. Tables of people gathered to socialize in between games as the organizers worked in the background. It was a cheerful day as the viewers watched through the windows, with donated prizes ranging from duffel bags to tea were staged on the ledge above.
It is heartwarming to know that dedicated citizens still volunteer for their community, and Findlay and Raess are two prime examples of doing so with a smile. Raess states, “Once you have your teams, then you can plan the fun.”
With events like the barefoot bonspiel and a variety of arena activities it is organizations like MADRA and its enthusiastic volunteers that encourage Medstead through the winter and into the coming of spring.
