There is a lot of cool fun coming to town to fight back the hurt that comes from too much heat.
The Burn Unit Bonspiel takes over the ice at the Amherst Curling Club this Friday evening and continues until the last rock is thrown Sunday in support of the Nova Scotia Fire Fighter’s Burn Treatment Society.
Now in its 17th year, it’s suffice to say there is less emphasis on winning and more focus on fun and helping out.
“[The proceeds] go to the Nova Scotia Fire Fighter’s Burn Treatment Society and goes towards buying stuff for kids that have been through fires,” event organizer Chris Clark said.
As in previous years, Joe Depuis and A&W are the major sponsors for the event that hopes to match previous years and raise $3,000 for the burn unit.
So far it looks like the ice will be full with more than fifty participants sitting on the 24 teams who have enrolled for the three-day bonspiel.
“It’s open to other fire departments and anyone else in the community,” Clarke said. “We have regulars who come back every year from local fire departments and local curlers.”
Among them will include representatives from the Nova Scotia Fire Fighters Burt Treatment Society, Clarke said.
The Amherst Fire Department’s support of the provincial society dates back to the 1980s when members would travel to fundraisers.
“Years ago, for our commitment, we used to go to Halifax for a bowling tournament in April and then this go started,” Bob Blenkhorn said.
Games start at 6 p.m. Friday, then starts up 9 a.m. Saturday. Come 7 p.m. Sunday, the good work and good fun wraps up.
According to its website, the Nova Scotia Fire Fighter’s Burn Treatment Society says each year fire fighters respond to thousands of emergency calls but the commitment and dedication to the injured does not end when the emergency is under control and trucks are back in the station. The society contributes burn care equipment and educational materials to local hospitals, assist burn survivors with post hospital care, and supported burn survivors with their ongoing issues as they continue the long struggle to recover physically and emotionally.
Online, the society can be found at www.nsffbts.ca.
