The Chatham Granite Club brought together curlers of all abilities to raise money for local veterans on March 4, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Rand MacIntosh.)The Chatham Granite Club brought together curlers of all abilities to raise money for local veterans on March 4, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Rand MacIntosh.)
Chatham

Blind Curlers, Special Olympians Curl For Veterans

It's encouraging for the president of the Chatham Granite Club to see curlers of all abilities come together to raise money for local veterans.

Rand MacIntosh says 28 teams, including Special Olympians, non-curlers and blind curlers, competed in a curling tournament earlier this month, in support of the Chatham Poppy Fund.

"That's amazing to see some of them curl," MacIntosh says. "And the Special Olympics ... we're trying to make venues so they can come out and enjoy curling like everyone else."

The Chatham Granite Club presented a cheque to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 642 for $737 on March 20, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Rand MacIntosh.) The Chatham Granite Club presented a cheque to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 642 for $737 on March 20, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Rand MacIntosh.)

MacIntosh says the club raised just over $700, but it's really a dual-purpose event.

"It's a day that, yes, there's scores kept, but everybody has a chance to score, and obviously with the results we had this year everybody did win games," he says. "It introduces people to the sport."

Even though there's no sweeping at the friendly bonspiel, MacIntosh hopes to sweep up at the club's next fundraiser, planned for November 18th.

"[It's] the week after Remembrance Day, so I'm thinking that it's closer to that time frame of poppies and remembrance," says MacIntosh.

Already three teams of two are signed up. MacIntosh says they can host a maximum of 40 participants. Anybody interested in taking part can contact the Chatham Granite Club.

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