The Peter Minogue Rocks and Hearts Tournament begins today and the event could draw a large number of fans.
Thirty-two teams, many from North Bay, are part of the fun bonspiel.
However, the big draw is the inclusion of world calibre curlers Brad Jacobs and Brent Laing.
Co-chair of the bonspiel, Brad Minogue says one of the great things about curling is that it’s a social sport.
He personally has played against Jacobs and Laing over the years and when it came time to host the event named after his dad, the organizers simply asked both curlers would they consider being part of the tournament.
“We explained the basis behind the bonspiel and the effect it would have for local charities and even though they have quite a busy schedule in the winter, they were happy to participate,” Minogue said.
“We asked, they agreed and it was that simple.”
The charities the bonspiel is raising money for are the North Bay Regional Health Centre, the Canadore College Foundation and the Military Family Resource Centre.
Minogue says whatever money the tournament brings in will be shared equally between all three charities.
As for Laing and Jacobs, they will play at least three games.
The highlight may be the Saturday game at 11:00am which is free and open to the public.
But Minogue wants the public to understand that there’s only so much seating at the Granite Club meaning if too many people show up some may have to be turned away.
Minogue stresses it’s not that the organizers don’t want the public to see Jacobs and Laing, rather it’s more of a need not to jeopardize the Granite Club’s licensing by exceeding the seating capacity.
It’s expected that Jacobs will skip the team he’s on while Laing will serve as second.
Minogue says if the event turns out well, chances are it can be repeated in the future.
Although most of the participating teams are from North Bay, two are coming from Toronto, several more from other Southern Ontario communities, one from Sudbury and another from Huntsville.
Peter Minogue was an avid curler and played in both competitive and non-competitive curling events.
Brad Minogue says his dad and mother Barbara were continuously engaged in community fundraising events and the hospital was one of the organizations they championed right from the beginning.
