A Message from the President
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! 2020 was unprecedented as the club was able to manage the uncertainty from COVID19. A special thank you to our staff that has tried to move the club forward during this difficult time.
With the PHO, the club has basically been closed since early December. Over the holidays, our staff detected an ammonia leak in our plant, which under normal circumstances we would have repaired promptly. Considering all the uncertainty during the second wave we have decided to prioritize safety of our members, staff and the general public and thus have decided to end the season and remove the ice. The Board will meet in short order to formalize a plan to refund/credit curlers that have already paid their league dues.
With the start of the new year, we will pivot and focus our attention on the upcoming season. Although there won’t be curling in the near term we are actively working on key priorities. First and foremost we are engaged with the City of Richmond with respect to our aging facility. We hope to have more to communicate in the short to midterm. Second, we are exploring new ways to be active in the community given our large footprint. Feel free to reach out to our staff with ideas. Lastly, we will look to improve the member and curling experience by making key time investment in updating and streamlining our operation.
Our club is not immune to the impacts of COVID19 as we walk a fine financial tight rope. A special thank you to our treasurer, Guido Amantea, for guiding us through this as we have been actively applying for all the grants available to the club.
If you want to help the club through this difficult period there are several options. First, Theresa, our Bar Manager, has done a fabulous job of creating a charcuterie platter for purchase which then allows you to purchase bulk alcohol from us at a very reasonable price. This is a COVID relief program that is available to us for the next 3 months. Therefore if you normally buy from a liquor store, please consider purchasing the charcuterie and liquor from the club during this period. Theresa will be happy to help you. Please contact Theresa theresa@richmondcurling.com for further details. Second, you can donate to a couple of programs we have at the club. We have the adopt a rock program and we have a junior curling program (Syl Roberts). Please contact Janice janice@richmondcurling.com for further details. Lastly, we need volunteers who want to see the club be active in the community and ensure curling has a place in Richmond. Over the coming months we intend reach out for help.
Again, I want to thank everyone for their understanding. We fully intended to have a season based on our survey during the summer but it just wasn’t meant to be.
Stay safe and healthy!
Nick Hsu
President
Richmond Curling Club
