Claresholm taking part in Kraft Hockeyville contest

By Rob Vogt, Local Press Writer
Every since Alyssa Cole was a little girl, riding on the zamboni with her grandpa Don Cole, who was the rink attendant at the time, the Claresholm Arena has had a special place in her heart.
Now, Cole wants to give something back to the community.
She has entered Claresholm in Kraft Hockeyville, with a chance to win $250,000 in arena upgrades, as well as the opportunity to host a National Hockey League pre-season game.
Second, third and fourth prizes are $25,000 for arena upgrades.
“I can see how much the arena means to a lot of people,” Cole said. “It’s a second home to most, and so I’m trying to help keep the arena going by doing this contest.”
Currently, the contest is in the rally portion, where it is important for people to post as many pictures, stories, videos, and notes about the Claresholm Arena on the Claresholm page of the Hockeyville website.
Everyone has until Feb. 11 to show Kraft Hockeyville why Claresholm should be selected to move on to the next round.
Each posting earns rally points, which are crucial during the judging phase.
Judging takes place from Feb. 12 to March 16.
The judging phase will see Claresholm’s story submission judged on the following criteria:

• Depiction of the nominated community’s spirit and passion for hockey, 30 per cent;
• Examples of actions/events that demonstrate community spirit and dedication to supporting the sport, 30 per cent;
• Description of how money would be used, 30 per cent;
• Creativity and overall effort, 10 per cent.

This accounts for 90 per cent of the judging, with the rally points score making up the final 10 per cent.
On March 17, the top four will be announced. There will be two from the West and two from the East.
After that, voting takes place from 10 a.m. on March 30 to 6:30 p.m. on March 31 for one of the top four.
The grand prize winner will be announced at 9 p.m. on March 31.
The upgrades that need to be done on the Claresholm Arena include replacement of the hot/cold floor; replacing the boards and glass; a skate-friendly floor; and female dressing rooms.
Cole said she has no ties directly to the arena as she doesn’t skate ort have children in hockey.
“Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the arena,” she said. “I had a lot of friends who played hockey.”
Moreover, Kraft Hockeyville is a great opportunity for the community.
“I think it’s good for Claresholm to come together as a whole community,” she said. “(And) work together to do this.”
Anyone interested in more information can visit www.krafthockeyville.ca (no dashes or spaces) and follow the links.