Mark your Calendars for the 15th Annual Skip to Equip Classic!

The countdown is on for the 15th annual Skip to Equip Classic ladies bonspiel. Taking place Nov. 13 – 15 at the Sioux Lookout Golf and Curling Club, the women’s curling fundraiser, which has always emphasized the FUN in fundraising, will once again be raising funds for the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Foundation, the fundraising arm of the hospital.

“For 15 years, Skip to Equip has brought together curlers, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters for an unforgettable weekend of curling, camaraderie, fundraising, and fun—all in support of quality healthcare close to home! As we look ahead to this special anniversary event, we’re also pleased to share that Sioux Lookout Home Hardware has renewed its commitment as our Title Sponsor for 2026,” the Skip to Equip Classic Facebook page states.

Sioux Lookout Home Hardware General Manager and Owning Partner Eric Bortlis said of continuing on as the event’s Title Sponsor, “This continues to be an honour for us to be the Title Sponsor. It’s a tremendously worthy cause. It benefits everybody, not just in the community but in the entire area. We just couldn’t be more proud of what these ladies accomplish and thankful to be a part of it.”

Skip to Equip Committee Chair Kelli-Dawn Baker shared, “Fifteen years is very special. We’re looking forward to reaching an even higher goal than we have in the past. A few of us have some big numbers in our mind. We want to grow our auction tables – silent auction, penny auction, all that. “There’s been an outpouring of support from the community and we appreciate everything they’ve done for us over these last 14 years and we’re just looking for 15 to be the biggest and the best yet.”

Last year’s event raised $162,000. Baker said of the event continuing to be a fundraiser for the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Foundation, “Right now the commitment is still to upgrade some equipment. So, this year it’s the CT Scanner needs some updating and the Mammography Unit needs some updating again.”

Skip to Equip Committee members will soon be out and about the community selling their now well recognized purple 50/50 raffle tickets.

Baker said she would love to see the number of teams participating in the event rise to 24. “If we could get 24 teams that would be a significant milestone again. We’ve been pretty much standard around 20 teams right now, if we could get to that 24 team mark, I would be ecstatic.” Baker added, “We usually start opening up registration around September 1… just watch for advertising. We’re on Facebook and Instagram now. Watch for all the upcoming exciting news!”

Baker said of Sioux Lookout Home Hardware continuing on as the event’s Title Sponsor, “It’s a two part for me, obviously being one of the senior managers at (Sioux Lookout) Home Hardware, but we’re very pleased and excited that they see this event and needing to raise the funds to keep our hospital up on the top where it needs to be and we’re forever grateful that they’ve taken on another two years with us.”

Melissa Slade, Donor Relations/Operations Coordinator, Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Foundation commented, “Celebrating 15 years of Skip to Equip is an incredible milestone and a testament to the dedication, generosity, and community spirit of everyone who has supported this event over the years. We are also grateful to see Sioux Lookout Home Hardware return as Title Sponsor, continuing its longstanding commitment to local healthcare and community giving. Skip to Equip has become one of our region’s most impactful annual fundraisers, helping fund vital equipment and healthcare initiatives that benefit patients and families across Northwestern Ontario. We are honoured that the committee has once again chosen the SLMHC Foundation as the recipient of the funds raised, helping ensure we can continue investing in life-saving equipment and enhanced care close to home.”

Follow SLMHC Foundation on Facebook and Instagram and visit SLMHC Foundation website for more details on upcoming events, news and support opportunities.