The Hockeyville committee wants Woolwich to show its true colours – all over homes, businesses and streets.
Woolwich is still waiting to hear if it has been named to the top five finalists for the CBC Kraft Hockeyville competition. In the meantime, the committee is encouraging people to put up hockey-themed decorations to show their support.
“We want everybody as a community to feel part of Hockeyville so that hopefully when CBC comes, everybody will feel our excitement, because we really want to win this thing,” said committee member Sharon Schultz.
One creative idea is to build a “hockey scarecrow” out of old pieces of equipment and jerseys.
“Everybody’s got old equipment hanging around, everybody’s got old hockey jerseys hanging around.”
Those who don’t can make a poster, a snow sculpture relating to hockey, or just tie a bundle of old hockey sticks with a bow and set them by the door, using the Hockeyville colours of red, white and blue wherever possible.
Businesses are encouraged to show their support too, with a window display of posters and hockey gear or simply by putting a Hockeyville message on their exterior signs. The Woolwich Minor Hockey Association got new jerseys for its rep teams this year, and the committee would like to display the old ones inside local businesses.
The decorating committee is also looking for donations of old hockey jerseys to hang from the lampposts along Arthur Street in Elmira.
Two of the five finalists have been announced so far: Terrace, B.C., from the Western region, and Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, from the Atlantic region.
The next finalist will be announced tonight (Saturday) and the remaining two on Feb. 14 and 21.
If Woolwich does make the top five, CBC camera crews will be in town the Thursday following the announcement to film a segment.
“We have such a short time when we find out if we won that finalist position, everything should be prepared,” Schultz said. “There will be so much to do in those few days, there won’t be time to decorate.”
The finalists are vying for the top prize of $100,000, an NHL preseason game and a CBC Hockey Night in Canada broadcast from their community.
Anyone looking for help with decorating can contact Brenda Boland at 519-664-2965. Anyone interested in helping the decorating committee or any of the other sub-committees can contact volunteers@woolwichhockeyville.ca.
