The Borderland Thunder’s booster organization has its action plan, mission statement, and executive board in place. Now it just needs more people to throw their support behind it.
The Thunder Club held its first meeting last Thursday, seeing a crowd of 16 on hand, along with Borderland head coach Dave Allison and defencemen Kurt Hogard and Dave Gooch, discussing ways to help bolster the team’s financial fortunes.
“It was an okay turnout, but I was hoping for more,” said newly-elected chairperson Melanie McPherson. “There’s an open invitation to people in the community to join our committees.”
McPherson will be joined on the club’s executive by vice-chair John Payne, treasurer Everett Freeman, and secretary Susie Jones, with all board members being acclaimed at Thursday’s meeting. All board members will serve a one-year term, with the option of running for the position again the following year.
The idea for the club came to life out of talks between members of the committee supervising this past spring’s Dudley Hewitt Cup Central Canada Junior “A” championship hosted here.
With last month’s published reports of the Thunder having lost more than $120,000 in its first two years of existence, greater credence was lent to the formation of the club to help offset some of the team’s expenditures through various fund-raising ideas.
“Everyone wants to see the team stay and wants for there to be junior hockey in the area,” said McPherson. “We’re a separate body from the team and its management, but we do have the (Couchiching First Nation Reserve) band council behind us 100 percent.
“I believe the Thunder Club can have a good impact in terms of doing fund-raising for the team, and to help get more people out to games, as well. I think the community will get behind us. We’re even going to hold events throughout the summer.”
The club has already received approval from the band council to use the team’s name and logo in their efforts, as well as permission to hold a weekly bingo night on Mondays at the Couchiching Bingo Hall to raise money.
Some of the other fund-raising activities being examined are a monthly 60/40 draw, with winners receiving 60 percent of the total pot; a vehicle raffle; fan appreciation nights at Thunder games; and team paraphernalia sales involving items such as mugs, teddy bears, and scarves.
Another concept on the table is a fashion show this coming spring involving the Thunder players displaying the latest styles from local clothing establishments.
“We want to get the players out in the community and have them interacting with people, especially kids,” explained McPherson.
To that extent, other options being looked at are having individual players profiled weekly in the Fort Frances Times: having them work as grocery baggers at Safeway; arranging visits to schools and hospitals; and having them serve as bell ringers keeping watch over the Christmas donation pots set up by the Salvation Army.
“It’s really important that we get our faces out there,” said Gooch, a first-year Thunder player hailing from Mantua, N.J. “We want to get the public to know us more off the ice, and that way, we can get more support from the community.”
The two players present Thursday admitted with a grin they had a limited background in the world of fashion to help guide them through the planned spring showcase.
“Usually, I just wear whatever I pick up off the floor in the morning,” chuckled Hogard.
Teenager Jody Faragher from Blackhawk, touted as “the world’s biggest Thunder fan” during a radio birthday greeting sent to her recently, liked what she heard come out of the meeting.
“I think the Thunder Club is necessary to help keep the team going,” said Faragher, who religiously makes the 130-kilometre round trip from Blackhawk on Thunder game nights, and has yet to miss a home game since the team was created two seasons ago.
“I think the community will rally around to help the team. Being from Blackhawk, where there’s not much out there, I know the importance of having such a team like this in a community.”
The Thunder Club is open to all individuals ages 16 and up. Anyone wanting to get involved with the booster organization should call McPherson at 274-9066.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
