The Shelley Nichols rink from St. John’s NL edged out the Rachel Homan foursome from Ottawa, who won the event in 2007 and 2008, by a 7-6 score this afternoon in London Ontario to win the 14th annual Southwestern Ontario Charity Spiel. The Nichols team will go home with $8000, and an invitation to the Canada Cup, Dec. 1-5 in Medicine Hat Alberta, while the Homan rink will receive $6000. In this morning’s semi-finals, Nichols handed Alison Goring of Toronto her first loss in the event, by an 8-5 score, while Homan downed Marie France Larouche of Lévis Quebec 7-1. Goring and Larouche each take home $4000.

PEI’s Kathy O’Rourke rink lost their quarter-final match on Sunday evening against Nichols, by a 6-4 score, and went home with $2500 for making it to the championship round.  Earlier in the event the O’Rourke team, which includes Erin Carmody throwing fourth stones, Geri-Lynn Ramsay throwing third, O’Rourke calling the game and throwing second, and lead Tricia Affleck,  recorded wins over three-time event champion and last year’s runner-up Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater Ont., and over last year’s winners, the Cathy Auld rink from Missisauga.

24 teams took part in this year’s  event. Now in its fourteen year, the cashspiel has raised over $200,000 for local breast cancer research and care.

Website: http://sowcc.isp.ca