When Mission Services of London—a community organization that offers safe shelter, food, and clothing to those seeking emergency support—had a substantial amount of its funding cut by the government in the mid 1990s, Glen Gordon, Past President and proud member of the London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR), jumped into action to organize what was to be the first of many charity curling bonspiels to help support the Mission. A former competitive curler, Glen was able to reconnect with his lifelong love of the sport with the advent of this charity event.
In the early days of the planning of the inaugural bonspiel, Glen took it upon himself to turn his idea into reality. “I didn’t have a committee or any teams but I remember thinking if I have to do it all by myself, so be it,” he recalls. Lucky for Glen, this was not necessary. LSTAR, who had already been supporting the Mission since 1992 with their participation in the Homes for Hope pin campaign, was more than happy to lend their support to this project as well. The LSTAR Board of Directors helped Glen put together a committee, of which he became the Chair. Teams were assembled, sponsors were gathered and, before long, the Mission Services of London Funspiel began to take shape. The first tournament was held in January of 1997, raising around $3,000. Since then, more community partners have jumped on board to ensure the success of Mission Services of London’s many programs.
Glen doesn’t hesitate to give credit to the hardworking and dedicated committee who have planned this event from year to year. “I’ve had the same committee for the last 10 years,” he explains. “These are fantastic people who I can trust to get the job done.”
At LSTAR’s recent Annual General Meeting, held on April 24, 2012, Glen presented Mission Services of London Executive Director Peter Rozeluk with a cheque for $11,807.33—the amount raised from this year’s Funspiel (pictured above). To date, the Funspiel combined with the Homes for Hope pin sales have totalled over $200,000. Plans are already underway for Funspiel 2013.
