The Minnedosa initiative to raise funds for cancer-related organizations, Curling for a Cure, began in 2018 and has been going strong ever since!

Event organizer, Chad Yanchycki, says it all began when his grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer, this being his third time being hit with cancer.  That was in early January of 2018.

"It meant a lot to him to give money back to cancer research or anything to do with cancer," shares Yanchycki. "We used to always participate in Relay for Life and other events through the province, and we just got thinking we could do a bonspiel and try to raise some money.  And so, we did one that year really quick and got 13 teams and raised just over $3,000 that first year."

On the second year they added $10,000 to that number and by the third year they reached $18,000.  The pandemic put their momentum on hold for 2 years but last year they picked up where they left off, raising just over $26,000. This year they raised just over $33,000.

"We set a 10-year goal of $100,00 and we're just about at $95,000 raised in our first 5 years," he adds. "So, we will crack over $100,000 in our 6th year in 2025, which is very exciting for us!"

The annual curling bonspiel is held at the Minnedosa Curling Club every February long weekend.  The spiel has become so popular they have increased the number of teams to 24, so get your teams registered for the February 14-16th, 2025 weekend!

Yanchycki says they've maxed out at 24 teams but are already 75% sold for the 2025 tournament.

The 2024 funds were allocated to the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Group for $20,000 and to Cancer Care Manitoba Foundation the remaining $13,021, cheques being presented just last week.

For more information on the Childhood Cancer Support Group, please visit their website HERE!

"We welcome everyone to come and join us next year, it's a lot of fun and we see about 500 people come throughout the weekend," he adds.

Unfortunately, Chad's grandfather passed away three days after the very first event in 2018.  "We know he'd be so proud and it's the reason we do it, it was because of him and how much it meant to him, and we had seen the support that he had through multiple organizations in cancer in Manitoba and so it's more of a tribute to him." 

"We know cancer affects everybody, whether you're battling it yourself or you know somebody who has," he adds. "So, it's one of those things that we just want to keep going because it affects everybody in one way, shape or form."

Please listen to more with Chad Yanchycki below!

For more information on registration, or if you can sponsor a live or silent auction prize, please visit their Facebook page HERE! for contact information.