There are certainly a lot of fingers being crossed right now as the Town of Outlook has entered into the Kraft Hockeyville contest.
The nomination was made by Outlook’s recreation director, Jordy Jones, on behalf of the Jim Kook Rec Plex.
The hope is that Outlook winds up being one of four finalists to compete in the popular contest, which doles out a grand prize of the winning community playing host to a preseason NHL hockey game, as well as a massive cash prize of $250,000 to use toward arena upgrades.
Three second-place winners will receive $25,000.
The contest is based on story submissions and rally points, which can be shared on the Kraft Hockeyville website. Rally points are compiled by adding notes or uploading photos and videos of each competing arena and community to the website. You could also gain rally points if you shared a community page on social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
Jones’ submission on behalf of Outlook speaks to the community’s long and deep-rooted history with the game of hockey and highlights how the sport continues to grow to this day, with new generations getting involved and families becoming more invested in the sport, as well as enjoying the benefits that it provides.
It also touches on just what Outlook could do with that kind of prize money, allowing for the Jim Kook Rec Plex to continue to thrive, hopefully for more generations to come.
“KRAFT: TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY’S SPIRIT AS WELL AS ITS PASSION FOR HOCKEY. CAN YOU DESCRIBE EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS CAME TO LIFE?
The hockey spirit of Outlook runs back as far as anyone in town can remember. Rivalries from the past are so deep rooted in our area that some people still will not step foot in opposing arena's and the pride of Outlook's teams runs thick. Outlook has always supported hockey as an option for all families and the Senior Ice Hawks (formerly the Comets) have provided weekend outings for families for decades in our Town. Outlook's passion for hockey continues to grow and in the last 3 years alone minor hockey registration has grown 150% including the emergence of an entire initiation team made up of females! This is partially due to dedicated volunteers in the town developing a free for families 'learn to play' program for any child between ages 4-8 that wants to try hockey before having to purchase all of the equipment. In its inagural year this camp attracted 36 children, 20 of which were females. Municipal council accepted this opportunity and donated the use of the facility.
KRAFT: TELL US ABOUT YOUR ARENA. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND HOW WOULD THE $250,000 BE BEST USED TO UPGRADE THE ARENA?
The Jim Kook RecPlex in Outlook was built due in large part to volunteer labour. Now closing in on 40 years of existence, the RecPlex is feeling the pressure of those years and is in need of some repairs and upgrades. Most notably, the ice resurfacer is in its 11th year of a 10 year life expectancy. Getting a high efficiency resurfacer would be the first step in spending the $250,000. Secondly, the plant is also aging and in need of upgrades. We recently changed the brine pump, but the compressors will need to be upgraded to higher tonnage on the next upgrade which is a costly replacement in its own right. The hallways and dressing rooms are in desperate need of new matting and we have one last section to convert to LED Lights. The spirit of Outlook's Recplex is defined by the people choosing to bring joy and energy into it each and every day. We are blessed to have such a beautiful arena, we just need to ensure we keep giving it small facelifts as we continue on!
KRAFT: WHY SHOULD YOUR COMMUNITY BE THE NEXT KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE?
Outlook as a town symbolizes Canada's love for hockey. There are likely no Scouts with Outlook circled on a map, yet the rink is still full during the winter months and families file in each and every night to watch a new generation earn a love for hockey. I often wonder why they still do and it comes back to the culture we choose to define. We want our youth raised in a competitive and tight-knit community and by keeping the arena operating, we allow our citizens to have recreational opportunities all 12 months of the year. It is not just a rink, it is a meeting place. By getting our citizens active we invest in our community, and that is what the rink means to Outlook. If Kraft Hockeyville comes to Outlook you will not only feel the passion for hockey from our town, but people would flock from all around us. We will welcome Kraft and the hockey players that come with Hockeyville like only small town Saskatchewan knows how.
- Jordy Jones, Rec Director, Referee, Ice Hawk Player”
Right now, Kraft has entered into the judging phase of the contest, which will take place from February 11 to March 15, with the four finalists to be named on March 16.
Voting will begin on March 29, and the winning arena and community will be crowned on March 30.
