The Erskine Curling Club has been successful in its quest for a 2024 grant.
BASF, the company sponsoring the grant, announced the winners on April 30, with Erskine being one of four winners from across the prairies.
“When we need our community, they are always there! To everyone who supported the Erskine Curling Rink, we truly thank you. And to BASF – your contributions to our small rural hamlet will forever be remembered!” states a testimonial from the Erskine club in the BASF release announcing the winners.
The BASF Growing Home grant saw three finalists in each province, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, battle head-to-head for votes with the winner of each province being selected for a share of the $100,000 grant.
According to the BASF release, 624 nominations for community grants were received in 2024, and the finalists received nearly 136,000 during the two-week voting period.
The Erskine Curling Club will put the funds towards the Erskine Curling Rink, which was built in 1953 and needs “major renovations” to remain operational.
It’s noted in the release that the club serves as the “heart” of the Erskine community where volunteers teach curling to students as part of physical education and support the local 4-H Beef Club by providing space to hold meetings.
Other grant winners in the 2024 intake were the Abbey Curling Club in Saskatchewan, the St. Jean Baptiste Volunteer Fire Department in Manitoba, and the Three Oaks Respite Cabin in Ontario.
The Growing Home initiative was launched by BASF in 2023 “to give back to the communities where BASF customers live, work, and play.”
Each organization will receive $25,000 from BASF to “help fund initiatives that promote the health and sustainability of rural communities.”
BASF is an agricultural business headquartered in Calgary which focuses on research and development and donates around $350,000 back to rural communities each year.