It takes plenty of teamwork to get a team to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
And it also takes plenty of great teamwork to host the Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
The Okotoks Curling Club made it official at Okotoks town council when it announced it is hosting the 2020 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts at the Murray Arena.
With the proven track record the club has shown over the past few years, Curling Alberta passing on the Okotoks bid, was about as likely as Chelsea Carey flashing on an opponent’s lone rock sitting in the house.
The club hosted a pair of provincial championships, U18 and U21 in the past year, and in 2016 they literally played host to the best curlers in the world for the Masters.
All of the events came off without a hitch setting the club up for invitations to host major events in the future. As well, members on the committee, such as Ron McLaren, Marg Cox, Debbie Miller, Mike Libbus and the others, have been part of the roaring game for many years and know how to get things done.
The aim is to host at the Murray to bring the same quaint atmosphere High River had when it was home to the men’s championships in 2011.
High River’s event was a boon not only for the club, but for the local economy.
Sure, a lot of the curling fans will hoist a few and grab some fries at the Okotoks Recreation Complex, but they will also spill out into restaurants, filling the house like Casey Scheidegger scoring an eight-ender.
The biggest benefit is the excitement such an event brings to the community — as shown by the recent Hometown Hockey.
It’s a chance to show off Okotoks and to show that the town knows a thing or two about the roaring game.
