The annual Carman Curl for Cancer event drew strong community support, raising over $35,000 for local cancer initiatives. Held on the first weekend in November, the all-day bonspiel featured curling for all ages, followed by a meal, guest speaker, and music. Funds were distributed to Cancer Care Manitoba, Carman Palliative Care, and South Central Cancer Resource.
The Carman Curl for Cancer bonspiel, now in its over 30-year run, thrives on local involvement. A board of 12 or 13 members organizes the event, which typically occurs on the first weekend of November. This year, participants enjoyed an all-day curling session open to all ages, capped by a communal meal, an inspiring guest speaker, and live music.
Brady McGillivary, who joined the board in 2019 and began co-chairing with Jay Bryson in 2025, highlighted the event's robust fundraising efforts. "We do a silent auction, and we do an online auction, as well, for people who aren't able to come," he said. "There are so many donations and prizes from the community and the surrounding area. It's pretty unbelievable. We put some bigger ticket items on the online auction to try and kind of get a bigger audience."
The initiative proved successful, generating over $35,000. Cancer Care Manitoba received $15,000, while Carman Palliative Care and South Central Cancer Resource (SCCR) each got more than $10,000. SCCR financial chair Jack Pethybridge emphasized the long-term impact: "And it's just been vital every year to not only have the donation from them, but every year at the Curl for Cancer, there's a speaker that talks about cancer and lets everybody know what a journey is for those people going through the process."
This year's speaker, Peyton Bourgeois, a 20-year-old from nearby Roseisle, shared her personal story. She is the first woman in Manitoba diagnosed with a rare cancer and the first to undergo a specific type of chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant. McGillivary noted, "Usually, we will get survivors, we'll get family members of people who have gone through cancer, we'll get people who are currently in the fight, and someone to raise awareness."
The event's endurance stems from generational participation. McGillivary explained, "For a lot of us on the board, it's something our parents did and they kind of passed on the torch. And just to keep something like that running, it's been just a part of the community for a long time." Donations stay local to aid immediate needs, such as transportation programs, Pethybridge added: "It's been over 30 years, which is incredible for an organization to support us for so long, and we're so appreciative. It appears that it'll continue for a long time into the future."
