By Sarah Stone

UPDATE: TSN/Kraft Celebration Tour grand prize slides past P.A.

Aug 25, 2014 | 4:28 PM

paNOW Staff

Tears were shed Monday afternoon when the $100,000 grand prize winner of the TSN/Kraft Celebration Tour was announced.

Around 15 people were gathered at the Pineview Terrace Lodge with the nominator of the Prince Albert Kinsmen Water Park slides, Shannon Hurl, to hear the news.

With the city’s slides shut down over the summer due to safety concerns, many were on pins and needles to hear if it would receive the money.

Unfortunately, as the clock hit 4:15 p.m. Barrhead, Alta. was announced the winner and the room of people gave a collective “awe.”

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“Up until the end I was sure hoping it was us, but, like I said, it was a lot of fun and I would do it again,” Hurl said moments later, as tears streamed down her face.

Despite the loss, as a top 10 contender Prince Albert still received $25,000 to go towards the water slides as part of the TSN/Kraft Celebration Tour’s aim to improve places to play in Canada.

Hurl said she was happy to have nominated the slides in the first place and loved spending her summer raising community awareness and support for the cause.

“I picked a good group of friends to help out,” she said as crowds cheered behind her. “It wasn’t ever a ton of stress and a ton of work, it was just a good time.”

Sheila Fazio is one of those friends Hurl referenced on the organizing committee and was with Hurl when Barrhead was announced.

“I just think the whole process is just great awareness for our community and the community all came together,” Fazio said.

“We came together as a city; all the outskirts in the province came out to help vote and enjoy the party and it was a great experience.”

One of the highlights for Fazio was seeing people of all ages come out to vote for the slides.

Mayor Greg Dionne was also very positive about the experience after Prince Albert wasn’t named the grand prize winner.

“It’s not sad news for us, it’s you know, not happy news, but TSN profiled our city nationally, we got lots of positive response from it, we did get $25,000 and it’s really renewed the interest in lots of business groups and clubs to get the water slides reopened,” he said.

The way the community rose to the occasion and showcased itself made him proud, he added.

“Our community spirit shone the day of the event when all those people showed up in the rain and stayed there all day in the rain and cheered us on and it just brought us closer together,” he said.

Right now Dionne is confident the slides will reopen next year as they continue to work on a funding solution. He said the city will be making a positive announcement concerning the slides in the near future.

Earlier this year the water slides estimated repair cost was around $260,000.

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84