CHARLOTTETOWN – After four years of steady growth, Canada’s acclaimed elementary school curling program is still expanding.
Capital One Rocks & Rings has introduced the Olympic sport of curling to over 160,000 Canadian students to date, and continues to expand its reach. The program makes learning about curling easy, by bringing customized equipment into schools for day-long visits, where trained instructors deliver a high-energy, interactive program focused on the basics of the sport.
The program sprang to life today on the gym floor of Sherwood Elementary School. By the end of the day, some 250 students will have experienced an historic Canadian pastime.
“The students are excited and so are the teachers,” said Sheila O’Shea, teacher at Sherwood Elementary School. “This program has great credentials, curriculum elements and activities for our students and it’s great to see it running in our district.”
Capital One Rocks & Rings has been featured in the Globe and Mail and on the CBC-TV flagship news show The National. The program was developed in 2007 by Rock Solid Productions Inc. of Toronto, and is partnered by title sponsor Capital One, The Dominion, Curl Atlantic and the national governing body of curling, the Canadian Curling Association.
“Capital One is proud and excited to deliver Rocks & Rings to Prince Edward Island,” said Ian Cunningham, Chief Marketing Officer, Capital One Canada. “Capital One believes strongly in the value of investing in children and this first introduction to the ‘Roaring Game’ is a great dose of fundamentals, fun and fitness.”
“We are delighted to see the Capital One Rocks & Rings program expanding in Prince Edward Island,” said Greg Stremlaw, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Curling Association. “As the exclusive national sport partner of the program, we are committed to growing curling amongst Canada’s youth, and are encouraged by the results we are seeing in numerous markets across the country.”
The PEI Curling Association is fully supporting the program and has created a fund to help subsidize partial costs for schools. The fund is limited and will be used on a first come first served basis, please contact the PEI Curling Association for more details.
It is a great time for the program to arrive in PEI, with the Capital One Player’s Championships taking place in Summerside, April 17-22, 2012. The Rocks & Rings program will be offering complimentary tickets to the Championships to various schools and classrooms in PEI. The students will see some of the best curlers in Canada compete for the Grand Slam title. It is a great opportunity for students to learn about the sport and see national players live in action.
Area schools can inquire about Rocks & Rings by contacting Amy Duncan at [email protected] or 902-368-4208 Additional information on Rocks & Rings can also be found on the program website, www.rocksandrings.com.