Tankard a big hit with sponsors

By Doug Graham
Kngston Whig Standard
June 10, 2009

The curling house for Tankard 2010 Napanee is filling up nicely.

It's not granite rocks sliding into place -- the curling at the men's provincial championship is eight months away -- but more importantly vital sponsorship, which has left Tankard chair Stephen Paul feeling the Feb. 1-7 event at the Strathcona Paper Centre is on target to be a huge hit.

"Having the sponsors on board allows us some flexibility in regards to what we need to do and how to further market our event," Paul said.

"Ultimately it takes pressure off and makes us feel a little bit relieved, that's for sure."

The sponsors for the Tankard 2010 were unveiled yesterday. The premier corporate sponsors are Century 21 Lanthorn Real Estate Ltd., Lafarge Canada, Waste Management Inc. and Bank of Montreal.

Many, as Robert Storring of Century 21 said, also were on hand when Napanee played host to the successful Canadian under- 18 women's hockey championship last November.

"It is our firm belief, in being involved in something, to give back to the community," Storring said.

Paul said the strong response by sponsors has allowed the Tankard 2010 to meet most of its goals by June. That, in turn, means ticket sales are ready to begin before summer even arrives.

The ticket plans range from $100 for a ticket to a dozen or more draws, including the championship, to a weekend package for end zone bleacher seating for $55.

One of the challenges for the Tankard committee is selling ticket packages without knowing what stars of the sport will be on hand to curl for Ontario's berth in the Tim Hortons Brier.

Also, a successful run by Glenn Howard's Ontario championship rink at the Olympic Curling Trials in Edmonton could mean one of the country's best rinks will be at the Olympic Games in Vancouver and not in Napanee.

There are arguments, however, that without Team Howard at the provincials, the Ontario championship would become a wide-open affair, which always is exciting for curling fans.

No matter who makes the field, Paul is confident the curling fans will be in Napanee in February.

"(The Tankard) is an event they have circled on their calendars and they will be here," he said.

"We won't know certain names (of qualifying rinks) until January, but we do know it will be a very high calibre of curling.

"Right now we are targeting curling clubs, getting them involved in buying ticket packages."

One of the important venues for any provincial curling championship -- or the Brier for that matter -- is the curling lounge.

Whether it is the Brier Patch, the Heart Throb of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts or in the case of Kingston, which last hosted the Tankard in 1995 at the old Jock Harty Arena, the Igloo at the old Royal Kingston Curling Club on Clergy Street, the lounge is where shots are not made but absorbed.

"The curling lounge is a pretty integral part of the Tankard," said Paul, announcing that after more than 100 submissions from curlers, the name of the Tankard 2010 lounge will be "The Ice Hut."

"It will be full of entertainment and a place where fans and curlers come together after the games."

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