KELOWNA, B.C. – Rob Swan is fairly certain few people know about his hometown of Harvey Station, New Brunswick.
Understandable, considering the village boasts a population of 363.
But what’s remarkable is Swan has been travelling across Canada to raise money to fix up Harvey Station’s modest curling rink, a structure built in 1961.
He’s already curled at more than 100 rinks with another 175 more to go.
While he set out just to fundraise for the two-sheet rink, his journey across the country has turned him into a cheerleader for the Olympic sport.
“You know, I do this on my own dime,” says Swan. “I have no financial sponsors. I’ve tried, but I can’t. To do this alone people think it’s stupid. But then to pay for it, they just think I’m nuts. But that’s OK.”
Swan leaves T-shirts behind at each rink where he curls to raise money. So far, he’s only raised $8,000, but he remains confident he will meet his goal of bringing home $100,000.
He’s also hoping to bring more people back to the sport.
“Curling in any community is very important because it keeps the infrastructure in the community,” says Swan. “And a lot of small communities I find in Canada, once you lose one aspect of that community, it’s only a matter of time before you lose something else, and then something else. I don’t want that to happen in my community, or any of the small communities across Canada.”
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