Murray Kissick, co-chair of the 2018 Manitoba Games committee, presented a $7,500 cheque to Skate Thompson at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena Jan. 30.
“The surplus funds will be utilized by Skate Thompson for training and education, and kids that want upgrading in their coaching,” Kissick said. “Instead of out-of-pocket money from them, or digging into registration fees from the club itself, they can utilize this and offer it to their kids to go and upgrade themselves, and bring in clinicians to help all the youth. And that’s the goal of all our presentations.”
Committee member Manisha Pandya told the School District of Mystery Lake board of trustees Jan. 28 that the games generated a financial surplus of approximately $160,000 before she and fellow committee member Todd Harwood presented the school district with $35,000 to replace basketball hoop raising and lowering mechanisms in school gyms and the bleachers in the Trojan Gym at R.D. Parker Collegiate.
The Thompson Wrestling Club received $1,000 andMystery Mountain Winter Park received $5,000, Kissick said.
“The 2018 Manitoba Winter Games was able to have a $262,000 physical legacy along with a $160,000 financial legacy,” Kissick said in an email. “This was spread throughout our community for the benefit of youth, and for future community use. An economic impact study was done during the games in Thompson. Interviews of over 400 people were done – none of them Thompson residents. It showed that the games brought in $1.3 million to our community.”
“Other groups who have been contacted are Thompson Tumblers, the Burntwood Curling Club, Thompson Minor Hockey and Thompson Community Foundation,” Kissick said. “They will receive funds at a later date.”
