Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
Posts: 2613

I've been pushing hard for curlers to use their generous nature for the Samuel Fry drive which is an extremely worthy cause.

However, I'd be remiss if the attempt to get the storied Mankato Curling Club back up and running went unnoticed. Ice plants are very expensive.

I'm sure that a 10 spot or a 20 would hearten the volunteers down in southern Minnesota. I'll eventually get around to putting some money where my mouth is. Here's the link:

http://www.gofundme.com/mankatocurlingclub

Ben Tucker

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Registered: May 2014
Location:
Posts: 143

I have mixed feelings about the Mankato CC plea for funding. On one hand I want to see curling clubs succeed, especially a venerable curling club like Mankato CC which has been around in one form or another since the early 1900s.

On the other hand, they don't charge enough for curling. $220 for unlimited curling is a recipe for financial trouble. I don't live in rural Minnesota, and I don't know anything about the financial pressures they face, but I do know that 200 members paying $220 per year amounts to $44,000 which is probably more than 50% of their total revenue. Utilities probably cost them $20,000 per year. Dues to USCA and Minnesota probably costs them $6,000. Yearly maintenance and upkeep might cost $5,000. At $220 per curler they probably have enough money to keep afloat IF nothing big or unexpected happens, but when the ice plant failed they almost certainly had no way to pay for it or recover.

Relying on "the curling community" probably won't work. Other clubs' fundraising efforts (there are several of them out there right now) tend to bring in $5-10K from non-local curlers, not nearly enough to handle the type of issue facing Mankato CC. The gofundme campaign has been active for six months but has raised only $1290.

I don't think I can give money to it, probably my money would not really help.

Probably Mankato CC needs to raise their yearly dues to something closer to $450. That might seem high, but without it, I don't think clubs like Mankato CC will survive for very long.

Would like to hear others' opinions about it. Worried that the same type of thing could happen to other small city/town USA clubs.

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Registered: Nov 2012
Location: In the crawlspace
Posts: 83

What I don't understand about their specific situation is that they state that the rebuilt compressors failed, along with new chiller plates. Why didn't these parts have some sort of vendor warranty on them?

With regards to "the curling community", it's not an "efficient" method to raise funds, particularly when the amount needed is large and the time to do it is short. An appeal for building fund donations is better suited to that than "save our upcoming season".

My own club is replacing its ice shed floor ($$$$$) and is planning to have a partial season; a general fundraiser will probably not be considered as one of our potential funding options because of the speed and size of the project.

Chief Ice Minion

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Registered: Feb 2011
Location:
Posts: 136

I probably shouldn't say anything because I know just enough to be dangerous. I am not a member of this club, but I have curled there many time over the years. This club has had an incredible string of bad luck. Actually, my club has probably benefited to some degree because we have picked up curlers who want to curl. Nevertheless, I would like to see curling continue in Mankato. This club has a long tradition, produced excellent players, nice sized city of 40,000 in curling country, relatively large college of 15,000, and taken there turn many times and hosted all sorts of curling events. This is just sad and the last thing they want to do is ask for outside help. They have gone to the membership for these equipment changes and then the equipment has failed for whatever reason, membership is tapped. They have approached the city and been told it would be 5 to 6 years before they could potentially be added to the budget and prospect of an insurance settlement appear dim. Maybe some things should have been done different I don't know and it will be a tough road at ten dollars at a time, but at some I will put my money where my mouth is just like tuck. Peace out and good curling.

clutch

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location: St. Thomas, North Dakota
Posts: 2613

RBI and Minion raise valid points. True, it is far easier to point out the obstacles than the path to success, but the obstacles are there nonetheless. But let me ignore the obstacles for a minute and look at this a different way:

We all cheer the growth of curling in the USA and we all (from Texas to Minnesota to the WCF to Canada) realize its importance. Growth in the USA is Priority One. Even our goals for the Olympic podium have growth as the end-goal in the background. WCF formats acknowledge its importance. It is key.

So we sweat out how to build $2,000,000 dedicated ice clubs in high population areas for only $500,000 and hope like hell we can raise the 500-large.

Yet here we have a dedicated facility already. It has members. It has history. It has population in a college town. It's all ready to go...for far less money.

By the way, it also has our best hope of a World Junior Women's medal following this year's gals who mostly age out. That girl can play.

As for their dues structure: We don't know what works and what doesn't in South Central Minnesota. In lots of smaller cities, what you really want is to be the It Place to belong. Then advertising sponsors and fund raising comes easy. What can or cannot be done at different levels of income is totally local. Mankato has run for generations and that says something.

So, yeah, they're in a spot. Yeah, the fundraising doesn't seem to be off to a great start...nor even a great middle. All the more to toss a small donation their way. GIVING JUST A TOKEN AMOUNT WILL HEARTEN THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE INVESTED THEIR WHOLE HEARTS INTO THIS MISSION.

I ain't sayin' it's the best way to drop a 20. I ain't even sayin' it's a good way to drop a 20. What I am saying is that I've spent a 20 in far worse ways than this and so have all of you. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MANKATO.

Ben Tucker

Last edited by tuck on 07-17-15 at 10:01AM

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