Friday, May 31, 2013

Welcome to Our Blog!


Welcome to the blog for the Pittsburgh Curling Club's (PCC) efforts to build a dedicated facility for curling in western Pennsylvania. I'd like to offer up a big thanks to Jacki for taking the initiative to make this site possible.

It's our intention to use this space to keep you informed of our progress as we work through the details of obtaining funding, building design, site planing, permitting, site preparation, and construction. We'll post pictures, drawings, and details as they develop.

This site will also provide a forum for people to voice support for the project and tell us why they want us to build. There are many good reasons why PCC members want our own facility ranging from playing on quality ice, to more curling opportunities, to a better atmosphere for broomstacking. And, I'll bet we discover some new reasons that many of us hadn't thought of.

I'll start by throwing out a reason for why I support this project. Dedicated ice allows the PCC to control our own destiny. Make no mistake, curling at the RMU Island Sports Center has allowed the PCC to succeed and even thrive for 11 years. We would not be in existence without their invaluable support. But, this past season reminded us that we aren't guaranteed any ice time from season to season. As things are, we are unable to expand our programs and we can't attract new members. The status quo is no longer acceptable.

With our own building, we'll set our own ice schedule and determine the balance between league curling for members and open ice to be used as practice time or for public curling to attract new curlers to the club. In this way, we can achieve our mission which says in part - "To teach, develop, promote, encourage the sport of Curling ... by creating public awareness and appreciation for the sport."


Steve Buffington
PCC - President

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Relieve Stress & Support Pittsburgh Curling

HOW COOL ARE THESE?!! These squeezable “stress” rocks are now available for a club donation of $10 each. We’ll have them at Tropicurl and any other upcoming events as a low cost way for members and non-members to donate to our club. You may also contact Jacki Temple for orders at jackitemple@netscape.net.

Many thanks to Beth Cubbison for finding and designing this excellent fundraiser!

Monday, May 13, 2013

GNCC Publishes Our Building Story

The Grand National Curling Club (GNCC) has an article about our building efforts in their Spring Newsletter written by our own Dan Bliss. Look for a similar article by Dan in the upcoming USCA newsletter. Thanks Dan!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

The Dream is Becoming a Reality

By now, the cat is out of the bag: the Pittsburgh Curling Club is closer than ever to building the first dedicated ice facility in southwestern Pennsylvania, with plans to break ground as early as this summer and with hopes to have ice in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Lately, when we members of the board cross paths with other club members and friends of the club, we hear, “What’s happening now?” and “What can I do?”

The biggest thing at the moment is our summer fundraising campaign. Tonight was our public fundraising kick-off for our dedicated ice facility, and what a great start! We are full of great enthusiasm, energy, and ideas. The Building Committee and funding subcommittees have a lot of work ahead of them, however, including polishing the business plan; drafting letters of introduction to corporations, foundations, and granting agencies; brainstorming new and exciting fundraising events; and drafting fundraising letters to our members of our community, creating a framework for member donations and debt instruments that members can invest in.

To put it simply, while we already have an impressive amount of money and donations raised, WE STILL NEED MONEY.

Donate to the club; find out if your employer wants to contribute, and let us know who the appropriate contact person is so we can present our appeal; let us know if you have a creative idea for a fundraising event for this summer; tell your friends; etc.

In order for our plans to become reality, it’s going to take the hard work of every club member. Spread the word. Get excited. Make the dream come true!
 
The next fundraising subcommittee meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 15th at 7:30P in the conference room at Paradise Island Bowling Alley. The next Building Committee meeting will be held Wednesday, May 29th at 7:30P in the conference room at Paradise Island Bowling Alley.