Three dollars ensured Susan Jones was the top individual pledger at the 16th annual Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic.
The annual curling tournament concluded at the Fort William Curling Club on Sunday. The Hope Classic raised $177,500 this year in support of breast cancer research. The tournament raised $185,000 the previous year and has raised more than $2.6 million since it first started 16 years ago.
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Jones had raised the most for an individual with $11,780. She raised three dollars more than Sue Childs who came in with $11,777. Despite raising the most, Jones shared the spotlight with Childs at the closing ceremonies.
“I don’t necessary consider myself the top,” Jones said. “Childs and I definitely share that spotlight. I have a lot of corporate support, I have a lot of people at work who support me as well as a lot of friends.
Jones, who has participated at the bonspiel for the past nine years, said it was all going toward a good cause.
“It’s just so much fun,” she said. “There’s just a coming together for all the women and we’re so supportive of each other. You know there’s a serious nature behind the whole weekend but at the same time it’s just a lot of fun.”
Childs said she cried when she tallied up the totals.
She wasn’t sad that she didn’t come in first but joyful that they were able to raise that amount of money, she said.
“Nobody anticipated the amount that we would make,” Childs said. “I cannot believe these women can do that. We always know we`ll make $27,000 but with having so many new teams and the economic situation the way it is we never know what to expect. To have the pledges alone be at $159,000 was phenomenal. That’s $159,000 that goes straight to the cancer centre.”
She said the bonspiel does a lot for cancer research and added that the Linda Buchan Centre is completely funded by the Hope Classic.
More than 60 teams competed in the bonspiel, which divides teams by the skill levels of the players.
Registration for the 17th annual Hope Classic will be on Oct. 30. The event is scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 15, 2013.
Follow Jeff Labine on Twitter @Labine_reporter
