Abbey Curling Rink awarded $25,000!
The Abbey Curling Club was excited to announce it was voted the Saskatchewan winner of the 2024 BASF Growing Home Contest, and awarded $25,000. They received over 21,000 votes, securing the win by 136 votes. The $25,000 will go a long ways for the repairs to the club’s ice plant and they look forward to curling next winter, thanks to being nominated by local farmers in the area.
The Abbey Curling Rink was the winner of the 2024 BASF Growing Home Contest, and was awarded $25,000. Photo (submitted by Jenn Biensch, Abbey)
BASF distributed $100,000 between four organizations to support local initiatives in rural Canadian communities. This year’s program received 624 nominations from growers, which were narrowed down to twelve finalists, three of which were from Saskatchewan.
In true community spirit, voting to determine the Growing Home with BASF winners was opened to the public for a two-week period, allowing finalist organizations to rally support from their networks, and Saskatchewan voters pitched in to support the small community of Abbey, which has a population of 100. A monumental 135,908 votes were received for the finalists.
Abbey Curling Club was established decades ago and is a hub of activity during the winter months for the rural community of Abbey in southwest Saskatchewan. Citizens of all ages look forward to winters at the rink as a place to socialize and get active. The club offers regular league curling, youth clinics and after-school programs, 4-H play downs and various bonspiels throughout the winter. Unfortunately, during the 2023-2024 season, the compressor broke down and requires extensive repair.
Although the community would have repaired the curling rink, even if they hadn’t won the competition, the funds will make a huge difference in meeting the cost requirement. Jenn Biensch from Abbey explained what the difference will be. She estimated the cost to repair their curling rink will be around $40,000, so the $25,000 will definitely support the club’s plans to have the repairs completed by fall 2024.
Abbey Curling Club was established decades ago and is a hub of activity during the winter months for the rural community of Abbey in southwest Saskatchewan. Citizens of all ages look forward to winters at the rink as a place to socialize and get active. The club offers regular league curling, youth clinics and after-school programs, 4-H play downs and various bonspiels throughout the winter.
“The tight-knit communities represented in this program are the heartbeat of rural Canada,” said Leta LaRush, Vice President, Business Management at BASF. “In the second year of Growing Home with BASF, we were incredibly inspired by each organization nominated and the positive impact they have on their communities.”
Abbey is a small town with a big heart and the support they received in this contest reiterates that. Their rink is the hub of the community in the winter and winning this contest means that they can make the necessary repairs to their plant to keep the doors open for years to come. The community is extremely grateful to have been part of this campaign, and a celebration event will be held after harvest.