New Holland helps School of Rocks get kids on the ice

What’s the secret to growing the sport of curling at the grassroots level?

It starts with getting kids on the ice, and that’s exactly what Olympic silver-medallist Cheryl Bernard and Curling Canada sponsor New Holland accomplished at the Medicine Hat Curling Club just before Christmas.

On November 19, a sell-out crowd of 150 kids took part in Bernard’s School of Rocks Youth Curling Camp, sponsored by New Holland, kicking off with an introduction to the sport through floor curling, and then launching into on-ice skills and games, led by Bernard and a crew of enthusiastic volunteers.

The camp, aimed chiefly at kids aged 6-15, is designed to introduce them to a sport they can play for life, and that’s something sponsor New Holland takes to heart.

“New Holland is committed to partnering with rural communities and, through these types of initiatives, helping young folks get involved in curling as a great activity that may be enjoyed for years to come,” said Doug Warrener, Director of Growth Initiatives for New Holland.

And the kids weren’t the only ones to benefit from the November camp. The entire registration fee collected by the club was immediately donated to the Curling Canada Foundation, which shares the same goals: to introduce kids to curling and keep them coming back for more.

With Medicine Hat’s successful camp done, Bernard and New Holland are already looking ahead to two more upcoming School of Rocks Youth Curling Camps.

“We’ve had lots of little towns and rural clubs ask ‘How do we apply for that? We’d love to have it in our venue’,” Bernard told the Medicine Hat News.

For more information about New Holland-sponsored curling initiatives, including Cheryl Bernard’s School of Rocks, visit the New Holland website, here:
http://agriculture1.newholland.com/nar/en-us/about-us/new-holland/new-holland-support-the-sports

And learn how you can create engaging and healthy opportunities for some of Canada’s youngest rock throwers by visit the Curling Canada Foundation’s For The Love Of Curling site, here:
https://www.curling.ca/ilovecurling/