麻豆社区

The heart of the Marsh Lake community 鈥� the outdoor hockey rink 鈥� has been chosen to receive an upgrade through a Mars Canada contest.

The Mars Play Your Part campaign kicked off in late-August and runs until Dec. 31 in an effort to help five community rinks in need of refurbishment across the country.

Funds are now being raised through the sale of Mars bars for the rinks, including the community of Marsh Lake, located about an hour south of Whitehorse.

The rink at the Marsh Lake Community Centre is used year-round and maintained by the Marsh Lake Fire and Rescue Society.

Necessary upgrades include rink resurfacing, the replacement of two doors on the dasher board system, the addition of puck board and sill plates, as well as two player/spectator benches.

"It really is the heart of the community,鈥� said Wendy Morrison, manager of the Marsh Lake Community Centre.

"To get it upgraded is a big thing. The Mars program really kickstarts the chance to get the upgrades done. Without it, we wouldn't have the funding to get started on doing that.鈥�

Last year, Mars teamed up with the citizens of Grand Manan, N.B. to build a much-needed mezzanine at the community's local arena.

The initiative evolved into the Mars Play Your Part campaign.

The contest involves the purchase of a specially-marked Mars bar and entering the PIN code found inside the wrapper at www.marsbar.ca. This will activate a $5 contribution towards the five participating rinks. Activating a PIN also gives the purchaser a chance to win other prizes.

Each of the rinks will benefit from a minimum contribution of $5,000 and a maximum of $20,000 from Mars.

The five participating rinks include: Mission Leisure Centre in Mission, B.C.; Loreburn Recreation in Loreburn, Sask.; Western Fair Sports Centre in London, Ont.; Jean-Charles-Perreault Arena in Warwick, Que.; and the Marsh Lake Community Centre.

With Mars chipping in a maximum of $20,000, the community will still need to match the company's contribution as the total upgrade budget is estimated to be between $40,000 and $60,000.

Since the program was announced, the community of Marsh Lake has begun to donate personal and business contributions for the rink upgrade.

Morrison said the goal is to leverage the total amount raised to find a "bigger pot鈥� in an effort to maximize the arena upgrade.

Formed 25 years ago, the Marsh Lake Community Society's first building project

was the rink.

"I think it's a big boost for the rink,鈥� said Morrison. "People are really excited that it's going to get some upgrades and not be a little run down. I think they're excited about how it's going to look and feel out there.鈥�

The community submitted a proposal to Hockey Canada this spring, after hearing about the program's introduction.

"Canadians are known for their love of winter sports, particularly those that involve skates and an ice rink,鈥� said Aziz Shariff, marketing manager of Mars Canada. "By contributing to the improvement of local rinks that impact so many lives, the makers of Mars are committed to making a difference in these communities while empowering Canadians to do the same in a positive way.鈥�

The contest also promotes Hockey Canada's top priority 鈥� recruiting new players to the game.

"When a partner like Mars Canada Inc. invests resources targeted at improving and upgrading facilities, it helps make the game more accessible, thus supporting our recruitment strategic priority,鈥� explained Hockey Canada's chief business officer Mike Ross.