Monsanto Canada has named the Val Marie Curling Club in southwestern Saskatchewan as the grand prize winner of $10,000 toward needed improvements in the seed and chemical company’s “Imagine a Better House” contest.
The club at Val Marie, south of Swift Current, won the grand prize from 240 applications and was announced as the winner Tuesday at a presentation during the Scotties Tournament of Hearts women’s curling championship in Regina.
The $80,000 contest’s four other finalists, chosen on need and creativity of submissions, were also announced Tuesday as winners of $5,000 each, including the Linaria Curling Club at Westlock, Alta., and the curling clubs at Myrnam, Alta. and Swan Lake and Brookdale, Man.
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The company later expanded its contest to provide another $2,000 in prizes for each of 25 runner-up rural curling clubs.
The Val Marie club “was trying everything and anything to keep their ice plant running so they could have ice to curl on but their solutions were not permanent and were costing them a tremendous amount in energy costs,” said Monsanto public affairs director Trish Jordan in a release. “We hope our contribution will help them find more effective solutions and solve some of the challenges they were facing.”
Of the 25 clubs winning $2,000 each, winners in Saskatchewan included the clubs in the communities of Alameda, Buchanan, Climax, Domremy, Endeavour, Hodgeville, Kronau, Livelong, Mankota, Montmartre, Muenster, Oxbow, and Perdue. Manitoba clubs included those at Alonsa, Carman, Erickson, Minnedosa, Minto and Pilot Mound, while Alberta clubs included those at Bow Island, Cereal, Consort, La Glace, Mundare and Rockyford.
Monsanto said it plans to continue the “Imagine a Better House” program for the 2008-09 season based on the response received in the program’s first year, with details to be available to clubs and Monsanto retailers this fall.
The company is a major sponsor of both the Scotties tournament and the Tim Hortons Brier, and last year also signed a sponsorship deal with Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones rink.
