Schmirler Foundation donating to hospital foundations in Grande Prairie, Sarnia & Chestermere
The Sandra Schmirler Foundation is making donations to three hospital foundations in communities that were scheduled to host Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events this season.
Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation, Bluewater Health Foundation and Calgary Health Foundation will each receive $10,000 plus an additional matching grant when the communities hold Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events next season.
The Tour Challenge in Grande Prairie, Alta., Masters in Sarnia-Lambton, Ont., and National in Chestermere, Alta., were set for the fall of 2020, however, all three were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These donations could not be made without the generosity of curling fans. The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling has partnered with the Sandra Schmirler Foundation for a number of years with “crowd sweep” fundraisers held during events.
The Tour Challenge is slated to kick off the 2021-22 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season at Grande Prairie’s Coca-Cola Centre, Sept. 21-26, followed by the Masters, Oct. 19-24, at the Sarnia Arena in Sarnia-Lambton and the National, Nov. 2-7, at the Chestermere Recreational Centre in Chestermere. Dates and locations for additional 2021-22 events to be determined.
The Sandra Schmirler Foundation was established in 2001 to honour Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion Sandra Schmirler and is committed to helping premature and critically ill newborns and providing scholarships to junior curlers to support them on their path to success in the sport. The foundation’s annual telethon is scheduled for Feb. 21 with plans to go virtual this year. More details available at sandraschmirler.org.