Previous version of this article indicated this was the highest amount raised in Manitoba history it has now been corrected to indicate it was the second highest.
In January, Morden hosted the Women's Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, with great crowds all week and sold-out championship finals bringing the event to a close. With a final draw to the button Wednesday afternoon, Scotties committee members and Morden Curling Club board members gathered for a cheque presentation.
Scotties Host Committee Chair Ernie Epp was emotional as he spoke about the legacy he wanted to leave.
"We thought we'd aimed pretty high when we looked at something over $80,000 as the funds that we would bring in. The fact that we broke the $125,000 marker just..." His voice trailed off, "I mean, we're pretty blown away with how this community responded to us hosting the event here."
In 2015, the Winkler Women's Scotties raised just over $148,000 under the leadership of Co-Chair Louis Tanguay.
President of the Morden Curling Club Scott Bissett noted now the planning to use the funds begins.
"I'm absolutely ecstatic over the money that was received from the Scotties. They've done a superb job. We're going to be looking at different projects to enhance our club and move it forward in the future."
When asked if there were certain projects being considered for the money, Bissett said the executive needs to make this decision together.
"We're going to look at that from the executive level. What's value added to our club? We haven't really sat down and talked about it because we didn't have any idea how much money we had to play with. And I know we want to turn that money into a multiple so that we can really move this club ahead in the future."
The club is over 140 years old, Bissett commented on its impact in the community.
"Our club has maintained its base for years. We'd like to grow the game and growing it means getting more junior curlers involved, having more events here, especially junior programs or junior under eighteens or something like that. I'm hoping this will turn into something that will build the curling club and build our base."
Epp talked about the legacy curling has left in his life.
"I started curling on a team when I was 12 years old. My dad and older brothers curled, and I was a rink rat at the curling rink. My dad went to men's curling and I was probably there when I was six or seven or eight years old and trying to throw a rock halfway down the sheet. And it's a sport I love and it's one lots of people can do it into their nineties and I hope I get there too."
Epp would like to see more of this kind of thing and thanked the 200 volunteers for coming forward right away to pull together for such a successful event.
Bissett also thanked the City of Morden for the in-kind use of the facilities to make this all possible.