A significant donation has been made by the Jackson family to the Dr. Carson and Marion Murray Centre. Owners and operators of Gamez-On Paintball, the family have retired the business and are donating all of the equipment to the community centre to use for special events and potentially raise money. Founded in 2009, the business has run its course and its time to put the equipment towards a new adventure, Kenny John and Maryanne Jackson said.
“We started it for our son, Luke, so he could have a summer job,” Kenny John said.
“We thought of selling the business but the return would not be that great so we felt it would be better deserved if we gave it to the youth,” Maryanne said.
With the donation comes all the prospects of revitalizing the sport in Springhill. The Jacksons’ donation includes 20 complete sets – including guns, tanks and helmets – 10 chest protectors, four portable scuba tanks for refilling the guns, gloves, flags and cleanings kits. The Jacksons are also donating their two field locations, which neighbours the Lions Park off of the western tip of Queen Street. The fields include bunkers, barrels, towers and netting – everything to launch a small paintball business or, at the very least, put on an exciting tournament or two. The potentials are endless, the Jacksons said.
“We operated birthday parties, bachelor parties – it’s not only something that can help raise money for the community centre. There’s so much that can be gleaned from it, like team building,” Kenny John said.
“The community centre can use it to generate revenue, or summer camps. It’s a new opportunity,” Maryanne said.
Springhill’s Active Living Coordinator Rachel Little and Scott Munro, Manager of Facilities and Parks, say its too early to say when the centre will start offering paintball events, but the generous donation offers something their department prides themselves on being able to offer youth in the community and surrounding county: options for being active.
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