The town of Maryfield was buzzing on March 31st when Russ Howard came to the town. Maryfield won the contest entitled "Curl to Win", sponsored by the Harper Collins Publishing Company which gave Maryfield the privilege of hosting Russ Howard for the day. And did the community ever come together. The curling town, well-known for a number of youth that have gone on to win provincial and world titles, was filled with anticipation and events throughout the day that further displayed the community's commitment to the sport and curling icons.
The application process started last year with the community putting together a creative submission for the "Any town, Anywhere" competition. The community put together a slideshow outlining the impact of curling in their community with "Rocks on the Ice", a song developed by the group, playing in the background. Janet Lemon, an organizer of the event and an influential part of the community's participation in the competition, went around the community and had the children draw pictures which were compiled into a scrapbook that accompanied the application. This scrapbook also included curling events held within the community throughout the years, along with a tentative itinerary of what a day in Maryfield would look like for Russ Howard. The community included information on the success their junior curlers have had thus far and the importance of the junior curling program within their community.
In May, Maryfield was informed that they were a finalist in the competition and that the winning community would be chosen by Russ Howard himself. In October, Janet Lemon was informed that they had been selected along with Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, as the winners of the competition and that a visit from Russ Howard was in the works. Plans for the visit from the curling icon started soon after.
The day was filled with special events that kept Russ Howard busy and allowed for members from the community and area to take in this special opportunity to meet him. The day included a pancake breakfast, a visit to the school, lunch at the Maryfield Arlington Hotel, a junior clinic and mini spiel, an adult spiel, a sold-out community supper and an evening program. A pit stop at the senior housing in Maryfield allowed the seniors to discuss strategy with the curling great.
During the school visit, Janet introduced Russ and his several curling accomplishments to the assembly. She went on to say that this "is a very special day for Maryfield". When speaking with Janet regarding the impact of having a curler such as Howard visit the community, she went on to outline the importance of this for the youth. "This was a very special day for not only Maryfield, but for our young curlers. It provides inspiration for our younger curlers. They are the future of curling, and if we can motivate them, then the life of the sport continues. And that is very important to us. The young curlers need some high profile curlers to be out there to be idols for them. To be their heroes. To look up to them."
And look up to him did they ever. Excitement filled the school moments before the arrival of Russ Howard and grins spread throughout the gymnasium upon his entry. A parade of Maryfield's curling accomplishments started off the school visit with members of the school curling club carrying signs outlining these accomplishments. Russ was treated to a number of chants and cheers upon his arrival with the Grade 12 students taking him through a version of "Russ will Russ will Rock You" which grabbed Howard's attention and spurred his laughter. This was followed by several chants performed by grades three through eight with Kindergartens concluding the dedication to Howard with a "One little curler" skit.
Russ then had a chance to speak with the students and community members about his Olympic experience and his dedication to the sport that has led to his success. The students then had the chance to ask Russ a number of questions including how old he was when he started curling, who his biggest curling inspiration was, what his first curling memory is and who is the better curler, Russ or his brother. The visit got better and better for the students as they then had time to have Russ autograph their copies of his book, "Curl to Win." A highlight for the students was a very special opportunity to touch and have their photos taken with the curling icon and his gold medal won during the 2006 Olympics.
Speaking with Russ about his time spent in Maryfield, he summed up his initial reaction with four simple words, this has been the "most unbelievable welcome ever." He went on to say that "this has just been too good to be true. It really has, you know. I have done a lot of stuff similar to this, but the enthusiasm here has just been unbelievable. Like the chanting and the little skits they did there at the school for me was just amazing. And all of the different age groups that were involved. As I said in my little speech there, where I come from [Moncton, New Brunswick], there is probably one per cent of the population that curls. And when I asked for a show of hands here, it was closer to 80 per cent. That is pretty cool for a small area. It is a small-town, but they are proud of their club. They are proud of what they are doing and it shows."
Howard outlined the impact that small towns can have on curling teams. "When we first started doing our winning, my brother and I, we were in a town of maybe 5500 people. It was the same type of feeling as here. And when we won, we always said that the fans were like the fifth player. You need that type of support and when you come from a small town, you get that type of support. Some of the greatest players that ever lived came from towns like this."
Russ went on to have lunch at the Arlington Hotel with community members, followed by a youth clinic at the curling rink. When asked what advice Russ would give to youth that want to get involved in the sport, Howard stated "If you love it, it kind of takes care of itself. I practiced all of the time because I liked it. And if you practice all the time, you get better. There aren't any parameters, especially in this sport. If you come from a small town, you can be successful. You know, you can be fifty years old and win a gold medal like I did. And if you want to go to the Olympics, it is one of the neatest opportunities. Because if you do well in Canada, you are one of the best in this sport."
Russ Howard views 小蓝视频 a role model as a privilege and a real opportunity to give back to the sport. "You know, you pinch yourself really. I am having the time of my life. You see the kids' faces and they look at the gold medal and it is like you are Santa Claus for a minute. And I have never considered myself to be a world class athlete like Gretzky or someone like that. But you know, the kids don't know any different. It is really cool."
The day continued with events spread throughout the afternoon and well into the evening. Adult curling with Russ at the Maryfield Rink ensured that those who grew up watching Russ curl, had an opportunity to learn from him and discuss strategy. Teams from Maryfield and surrounding area were invited to take part in the mini bonspiel with Russ taking turns playing on different teams. The community wanted to pay tribute to not only the curling teams within the community that contribute to the continued success of the club, but those teams from the surrounding area that attend bonspiels throughout the season and support the curling facility.
The afternoon was followed by a Social Hour at the Maryfield Auditorium and a sold-out community supper at the Maryfield Auditorium. More than 200 people took advantage of the opportunity to have supper with the curling icon. This was followed with an evening program inclusive of a skit performed by the Oldie Goldie Curling Choir, and "Rocks on Ice" performed by the curling kids. A final book signing and a chance to have photos with Russ concluded the exciting and well-organized day.
