National Volunteer Week is a yearly campaign by Volunteer Canada to celebrate volunteers across Canada. The theme for National Volunteer Week 2025 is Volunteers Make Waves. It highlights the power, impact, and importance of individual and collective volunteer efforts across Canada. Read more about NVW here.

Curl BC could not do what we do without our amazing volunteers. Our provincial championships require a huge wave of volunteers helping to make each event a success. We also recognize that volunteers are the heart of curling, from small towns to big cities all across Canada, curling clubs thrive on the time and energy put in by their volunteers.

This week we are featuring a few volunteers from across BC to say a huge thank you for the waves they have made in their own communities and for curling in BC. Check out the features below!

These volunteers and the impact they have are special, and so are you. What we see in those faces and stories we see in everyone who loves curling. When we thank Murray, Warren, Henry, Diane, and Erin, we say thank you to everyone who volunteers their time for the love of curling!

Warren | Kelowna

Warren taking a picture with the Brier Tankard.

Warren has curled at the Kelowna Curling Club for 3 years and is an active member of the Okanagan Pride Curling League. Warren volunteered for the Event Services Team for the 2025 Montana’s Brier, and earned his certification as an official at this year’s BC Mixed Championship in Oliver.

But Warren’s community spirit extends far beyond the ice! He volunteered with Restore in Vancouver before moving to Kelowna in 2019, and continues to give his time to the Kelowna Food Bank and the Great Shoreline Clean Up.

What does giving his time mean to Warren? “Volunteering my time allows organizations to focus on giving back to the community. Knowing I made a difference in someone’s life gives me great pride in knowing my community is worth it!” Thank you Warren, for making waves!

Murray | Oliver

Murray at his 90th birthday celebration at the Oliver Curling Club.

Murray of Oliver BC has curled in Oliver since the 1960’s. From construction of a hockey arena and playgrounds in Oliver to various upgrades to the Oliver Curling Club, Murray has had a hand in building recreation and community in Oliver for 60 years! He has seen many committees go onto build facilities such as a new outdoor swimming pool, community centre, ball fields, skate park, as well as a mini golf.

Murray’s contributions to curling across BC are numerous as well; he was an essential member of the Interior Curling Associating and was part of the group that unified BC curling organizations to form Curl BC and served as Curl BC’s first president in 1994. Murray is still an active curler at 93 years old, curling twice a week and is still involved at the club, lending his time and expertise.

Murray is a true lifelong volunteer and builder of curling in BC; thank you Murray for making waves over decades and across the province!

Henry | Vancouver

Henry giving a rules briefing at the 2025 Wheelchair Curling Championship in Richmond.

Henry has many years of curling and volunteering under his belt and if you’ve been to a provincial championship in the last 15 years you’ll probably recognized Henry; he served as Chief Official in 3 of this year’s provincial championships! Henry also has coaching experience, he started coaching to introduce his daughters to curling. With over 20 years of officiating experience, Henry is a true staple of our officiating team; he started officiating for championships in 2002 and has never looked back. Why does Henry keep coming back after all these years? “Volunteering as a coach and curling umpire let me give back to the curling community and has opened a whole new curling experience and friendships.”

Thanks to the waves you have made Henry, we hope you continue to enrich the competitive curling scene in BC for years to come!

Erin | Vancouver

Erin and other volunteers at Invictus Games in Vancouver

Erin volunteered at this year’s Invictus Games as an ice player assistant. Ice player assistants are an essential volunteer role for wheelchair curling, cleaning the the rock and positioning it for the athlete. Erin has been curling in Vancouver since she was 7, and started coaching juniors at 16 to keep the love of the sport going. Erin started volunteering as a school requirement but fell in love with helping her community. Erin says that “volunteering has given me the opportunity to spend more time with friends, and make new ones along the way. For the Invictus Games, I was so happy to share my sport with all of the visiting athletes, coaches, family and friends. I was fortunate enough to be on the ice for the gold medal match, assisting one of the teams. To witness and be a part of something so much bigger than me was truly magical and is something I hope to do again many more times.”

Erin, thanks for showing that it is never to early to start making waves!

Denise | Kimberley

Denise has been curling in Kimberley since 2013 and started volunteering in 2015; she helped Curl BC run an amazing U18 Championship in Kimberley this season. Denise has served on the board at the Kimberly Curling Club and is also a Girl Guide leader going on 15 years. She was encouraged by her parents at a young age to volunteer and give back to the community, and that giving spirit has lasted a lifetime. “I know for programs and activities to continue we need to rely on volunteers. That is the reason why I volunteer, these programs were important to me as a child and I want to be able to give back. Kimberley has so many wonderful activities and programs because of volunteers, so I would like to see that continue.” Denise can see the impact that volunteering has made in Kimberley, the now thriving tourism industry is built on the backs of hard-working volunteers running events and programs to draw crowds to their beautiful city.

Thank you Denise for making waves in curling and in your community!