From cornfield to Jets jersey fundraiser to benefit Glenboro Daycare Playground
What began with a Winnipeg Jets logo planted in a Glenboro cornfield has turned into an opportunity to help local children, thanks to a little hockey magic and plenty of community spirit.
A signed jersey from Winnipeg Jets forward, Kyle Connor will soon be up for grabs, with proceeds from the fundraiser going toward the Glenboro Children’s Learning Centre’s playground expansion project.
The Winnipeg Jets supplied the signed jersey as a thank-you for the corn maze project, which caught the team’s attention earlier this summer. The jersey was then donated by Jefferies Farms, Riley and Shelby Jefferies and family, to support the local fundraiser.
Tickets go on sale this week, with only 450 available. They are priced at 3 for $20 and can be purchased at the Glenboro daycare, online through the fundraiser’s social media post, or through Shelby.
The winning ticket will be drawn November 7 at the Family Dance hosted by the Glenboro Children’s Learning Centre at the community hall. The event is open to all ages.
Shelby commented that if all 450 tickets are sold, the fundraiser could contribute $3,000 toward the daycare’s playground expansion. The project still needs $50,000 to reach completion, making every contribution an important step toward the creating an expanded outdoor play space for the children.
At the end of July, when the Jets logo in the cornfield began attracting considerable attention online and visitors were coming from near and far, Shelby contacted the Winnipeg Jets with hopes of organizing a community barbecue at the maze, possibly with a few players making an appearance as part of the fundraiser.
“Kory Harnum, the Jets’ Communications Manager, responded quickly, explaining that the team’s content crew had actually visited the maze just days earlier to capture video footage,” said Shelby.
Although the timing of the players’ schedules meant they wouldn’t be able to attend an event in person, Harnum offered to send a signed jersey as a thank-you for the community spotlight.
He also shared his appreciation for the initiative, calling it “incredible work on the corn maze” and describing it as “a great way to bring a community and (the best) hockey fans together.”
For the past three years, local farmers Riley Jefferies and Chad Berry of Under the Hill Farms have combined agricultural technology, teamwork and creativity to transform a cornfield into a free community attraction. This year, the giant Jets logo helped put Glenboro on the hockey map, bringing attention from the team and people well beyond the local area.
Now, that unexpected connection is helping support another community project.
For the lucky hockey fan, the fundraiser offers a chance to take home a signed Kyle Connor jersey. For local families it offers another opportunity to help the Glenboro Children’s Learning Centre get closer to completing its playground expansion.
Sometimes, a little hometown ingenuity can score big; both on the ice and right here at home.
PHOTO CAPTION: This Winnipeg Jets jersey autographed by Kyle Connor could be yours on November 7th. Get your ticket before they are gone!
