Hope Classic concludes

With glowing bunny ears, pink shirts and drinks called paralyzers, this year’s annual women’s curling bonspiel is like going away for the weekend.

At least that is what Sue Childs, chair of the Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic Committee, said it feels like.

The 14th annual Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic curling tournament wrapped at the Fort William Curling Club on Sunday. Hope Classic raised $169,000 this year in support of breast cancer research. The fundraising event has raised more than $1.7 million within 13 years.

"The women are phenomenal," Childs said. "Everyone says we (the committee) do a good job but it is not us. We pull it together but I cannot stress enough that it is the women collecting the pledges and the sponsors that give us so much."

Sixty teams competed in the bonspiel, which broke up the teams by skill levels. Childs said nine new teams participated in the tournament, which gives the event new blood and new energy.

Childs said she gets a little tired by the end of the weekend but wants to continue being involved in the bonspiel as long as she can.

"It’s kind of an all year event and I love doing it," she said. "How could you not work hard for something you love doing? I’m driven."

Marie Boquist, 49, was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago and decided to participate in the bonspiel this year.

Boquist went through six months of Chemotherapy treatment and four months of radiation. She said her husband found the lump.

"I was shocked," Boquist said. "I thought ok I’m 43 years old so I didn’t think too much about it."

Boquist visited her doctor and got a needle biopsy. The test came back fine but the lump was still hard and bothering her. She went to another doctor who took out the tumor to find it had cancerous cells. Boquist said the needle missed the cancer since it was in the core of the tumor.

"I was lucky," she said.

From now on, she is going to take lumps more seriously. She said women know their bodies and if there is something that doesn’t belong to get it cut out.

Liz Lindstrom, 57, was diagnosed with breast cancer twice: in October 2003 and July 2009. An experienced curler of 30 years, this is Lindstrom’s sixth time participating in the Hope Classic bonspiel. She said she is more of a social curler than a competitive one. Last year she came in last place and got the skunk award.

Lindstrom said she wants women to be aware that breast cancer can strike at any time.
"It’s not a over 50 decease anymore," Lindstrom said. "If you find something get it checked out."

When doctors diagnosed Lindstrom a second time she said they did a bilateral mastectomy, which removes the breasts when there is no cancer present. She said she couldn’t have done it alone and thanks her family and friends for their support.

"I feel sorry for women doing it alone," she said. "I think talking to other women about it shows you’re not alone. "

The money raised will be donated to the Linda Buchan Centre for Breast Screening and Assessment as part of a five-year commitment from the Hope Classic committee. The money has been used to buy equipment for the centre or education programs.