With the numbers in, the Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts is going in the books as a success.
It took more than 150 volunteers and one year of organization, but the Scotties made it into the black, reporting a profit of almost $50,000 between the curling event and 50/50 draws and raffles held through the week.
“We are very pleased to report the event was a success financially and we are proud of our community that was showcased throughout the week,” said event co-chair Atina Ford Johnston.
The Okotoks Curling Club provided the Town of Okotoks, with a cheque for $12,930.03 at the March 9 council meeting in accordance with the partnership agreement and invoices for facility rentals to run the tournament.
From Jan. 21 to 26, Okotoks was host to eight teams vying for top spot in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, but it didn’t just stick to curling. The event aligned the sport with culture, and Ford Johnston said that amalgamation was well-received by spectators, athletes and community members alike.
“It added a special touch to the event,” said Ford Johnston.
An arts and culture display was facilitated by Cheryl Taylor from Lineham House Galleries, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Lara Grunow from the Okotoks Public Library, bringing something unique to the provincial championship, she said.
In addition, an artists-in-residence aspect had local artists attending games and creating curling art on-site.
“There were many wonderful compliments and comments, and excitement, really, created about the connection between art and sport,” said Ford Johnston.
Youth had the opportunity to get involved with the Scotties in a few different ways, she said, from a 48-hour art challenge to having the opportunity to curl on the event ice during the hit, draw and tap competition, she said.
She said event organizers learned some lessons about ticket sales and offerings for future endeavours.
Full event pass tickets went on sale in March 2019, and were sold at an early-bird price of $80 for 11 draws. In September those prices increased to $100 for 11 draws. They were all sold online on the Okotoks Curling Club website.
“The ticket sales were slow up until about one week prior to the event,” said Ford Johnston. “The majority of our tickets were sold as walk-ups during the event, and our Friday and Saturday draws were sold out.”
Single-draw passes were not available until the Saturday before the Scotties kicked off, a move the host committee made to try to promote full-event pass sales, she said.
The weekend draws were sold at $25 each, but she said feedback from attendees was that the cost was a little steep.
“That’s something we’ll take into consideration for the future,” said Ford Johnston.
She said attaining sponsorship was a challenge, as the economic climate made it difficult for some businesses to contribute, but the support of the event was still fantastic.
As far as the venue, Ford Johnston said the transformation of the Murray Arena created an atmosphere comparable to national competitions.
The Okotoks Curling Club even provided live-streaming of the event complete with commentary by local club members in the draws leading up to Sportsnet’s weekend coverage, she said.
“That was given rave reviews,” said Ford Johnston. “People from across the country tuned in via our Facebook page to view the action live and enjoy some comical banter during the round robin draws. And I heard when Sportsnet took over, they actually missed the live-streaming.”
Mayor Bill Robertson commended the curling club for its work bringing the Scotties to Okotoks and putting on a successful event.
“Phenomenal job,” said Robertson. “I had all kinds of positive comments, in particular the friendliness of the volunteers was absolutely phenomenal.”
