The Village of Abbey managed to hurry hard and sweep the win in the BASF Growing Home competition.  

The BASF competition saw different communities in the running for a chance to win $25,000, of which Abbey has now secured with well over 21,000 votes. For a village of only 100 people, that means they received a monumental amount of love and support from the surrounding area in southwest Sask.  

For Jenn Beinsch, the economic development officer for the Village of Abbey, this money means that her efforts to find funding for the repairs to the curling rink were well worth it. 

"Voting was open for two weeks," recalled Biensch. "We managed to scramble together just under 22,000 votes." 

The curling rink broke down during last year's men's bonspiel. With a bill in the tens of thousands to fix, this money will help to ensure that Abbey is able to continue their love for the sport.  

"For a community of our size to pull together and win something like this? It's just amazing," said Biensch. "We had so much support from other curling clubs, from other towns, from other people in the province, other people in the country, and even people around the world who have connections to Abbey shared it and voted, and it was just amazing." 

The final tally of votes saw Abbey winning by only 136 votes. That tight margin means that every single voter made a difference, allowing them to narrowly secure the future of the local curling rink.  

"We actually were nominated by local farmers in the area for this contest," credited Biensch. "We were chosen as one of the top three finalists to compete for this $25,000 prize." 

Biensch didn’t have the total cost for repairs on hand but did reveal that they have begun talking with a local company to repair the damage. As for a time frame, the hope is to have everything ready for the next curling season. 

BASF will be in the community later this year, with plans to host a community barbeque after harvest. They will celebrate the strength of the community and it's winning the prize money.