For the Love of Curling Scholarship winners announced

The first 10 winners of the Canadian Curling Association’s For the Love of Curling scholarships have been decided, it was announced today by the CCA.
Ten young curlers from across Canada will benefit from the CCA For the Love of Curling scholarships.

Ten young curlers from across Canada will benefit from the CCA For the Love of Curling scholarships.

The $1,000 scholarships — which were funded by Canadian curling donors and supporters  who purchased T-Shirts during the Got Gold? campaign last spring — will help young university or college students cover a portion of their education and curling costs during the 2014-15 school year. “We were absolutely thrilled, both with the response to the Got Gold? T-Shirt campaign as well as the sheer volume of applications for the scholarships,” said CCA Chief Executive Officer Greg Stremlaw. “As we continue to build our scholarship program, we’re looking forward to being able to help even more young athletes pursue their academic and curling goals.” Nearly 100 applications were received from across the country. The 2014-15 scholarship winners are: Matt Allan, Stittsville, Ont. Corryn Brown, Kamloops, B.C. Daniel Grant, Winnipeg Leah Hodgson, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. Sarah Koltun, Whitehorse Derek Oryniak, Winnipeg Jocelyn Peterman, Red Deer, Alta. Rebecca Roberts, Kippens, N.L. Kalia Van Osch, Nanaimo, B.C. Cathlia Ward, Fredericton, N.B. The scholarships were decided by a panel, who looked at both academic and curling achievements, while showing a commitment to building the sport of curling through coaching/instructing and/or volunteer activities. Applicants needed to be enrolled full-time for at least two semesters at a Canadian university or college, in addition to being registered to compete for Canadian Team Ranking System points during the 2014-15 curling season. “It was an incredibly hard decision to narrow it to 10 winners because the applicants were so talented, both on the ice and in the classroom,” said Emma Miskew, a member of the selection panel and the vice-skip for two-time defending Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Team Rachel Homan. “But it was so encouraging to get to know these young athletes and their commitment to improving as curlers and as people. I’m truly excited to see what’s ahead for our 10 winners.” The For the Love of Curling philanthropic program was introduced during the 2013-14 season to help junior curling and to support curling centres in Canada, and the scholarships were an example of what can be done going forward, said Rachael Wilson, Director, Fund Development for the CCA. “It was gratifying to see the support of curling fans across Canada translate directly into helping our young athletes move forward in curling and in the classroom,” said Wilson. “It’s what For the Love of Curling is all about, and we know we can continue to build on this early success.”