Curling Club’s Vision is to Host Tournaments to Benefit Region
Traverse City, MI. — The Traverse City Curling Club will host a grand opening ceremony Thursday, April 20, to mark the opening of its $8.5 million Curling Center for invited guests. With ice dedicated solely to curling, the curling club plans to host regional and national tournaments, and USA Curling sanctioned competitions at the new Curling Center, and grow the sport of curling, which is a little bit like baseball, bocce, engineering, interval training, and yoga combined.
The new 28,000 square-foot dedicated ice facility features five sheets of regulation curling ice with spectator viewing. It will be wheelchair-friendly and ADA compliant. According to the club, curling is one of the most accessible sports and wheelchair users play right alongside able-bodied players.
The club raised funds through a capital campaign and grants to purchase and renovate the former Kmart building in the Cherryland Center off of Garfield Avenue and South Airport Road. The club, a partner of the Great Lakes Sports Commission (GLSC), received support and $1 million from the GLSC.
“The Great Lakes Sports Commission has been a game changer for the Traverse City Curling Club”, said Kevin T Byrne, TC Curling Club vice president. “The Commission recognized the vision, supported the plan, and helped activate our efforts. The Commission has been flexible, insightful and proactive in helping us build out our Curling Center. Without their input, we would not be where we are today.”
“The Traverse City Curling Center’s Grand Opening is the culmination of extensive work by a passionate and dedicated group of volunteers that love the sport and want to see it grow to benefit the region”, said Eric Marvin, executive director of the GLSC. “It is a privilege to partner with the Traverse City Curling Club, an organization that shares the vision to enhance the quality of life and drive impact through sport in the northern Michigan region.”
Formal Grand Opening Ceremony: Thursday, April 20, 5:00pm
The Grand Opening Ceremony will be held for the Traverse City Curling Club members, members from other curling clubs and supporters at 5pm on Thursday, April 20 with the formal program beginning at 5:30pm. The program will feature the curling tradition of a professional bagpipe player, who will lead in the U.S. and Canadian Olympic team captains, remarks and a curling competition/demonstration.
Cherry Bombspiel 2023: Friday, April 21-Sunday, April 23.
The Traverse City Curling Club will host guests from other curling clubs for its Cherry Bombspiel 2023. The event will include a 32 curling team competition and a dinner and dance party.
###
For additional information about the Traverse City Curling Club, please visit: https://tccurling.org/
To learn more about the Great Lakes Sports Commission, please visit: https://greatlakessportscommission.org/