It was a record-breaking year for the highly popular Rocks & Rings indoor curling program.
Rocks & Rings, which allows kids to be introduced to curling in a school setting using curling equipment adapted for gymnasium floors, visited 1,456 Canadian schools during the 2013-14 school year, involving 228,162 students, not to mention their family members, teachers and school staff.
“The Rocks & Rings program is an amazing way to expose curling to young people who might never otherwise have given our sport a try,” said Greg Stremlaw, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Curling Association, which is the exclusive national sport partner to Rocks & Rings, and provides funding to Rocks & Rings through the CCA’s For The Love of Curling philanthropic program. “Rocks & Rings instructors make the sport fun and non-intimidating, and the hope is that this approach will translate into more young people visiting a curling centre and trying it out on the ice.”
Since Rocks & Rings was created in 2009, the program has been in 4,633 Canadian schools with 689,548 participants, meaning the magical 1-million mark is firmly within reach. Support through donations to the For The Love of Curling program will play a significant role in pushing Rocks & Rings over the 1-million plateau.
“We’re ecstatic with how schools in Canada have embraced the Rocks & Rings program,” said Chad McMullan, the founder of the program and owner of Rock Solid Productions Inc. “The smiles on the kids’ faces shows us that the program is working, and if they’re enjoying playing curling on a gym floor, they’re going to like it on the ice as well. The best part is that the program is inclusive and available to all kids, regardless of skill level or background, and that’s a big factor in its success.”
“Working with donors, curlers and Rocks & Rings, we can help reach more schools and children across the country,” added Rachael Wilson, Director, Fund Development, for the CCA. “We want to work together to make sure curling stays in the hearts of Canadians for generations to come.”
