Cathy Martins is hoping residents of Osoyoos will let out a collective cheer Saturday night loud enough to be heard at CBC headquarters in Vancouver.
That resounding cheer will be coming from the Sonora Centre, where Martins is hoping a large crowd of supporters will gather Saturday night when Hockey Night in Canada announces the Top 5 communities for its 2012 Kraft Hockeyville contest.
The Town of Osoyoos made the Top 15 two weeks ago.
The grand prize winner of a $100,000 arena upgrade and right to host an NHL pre-season game will be announced on national television on Hockey Night in Canada the evening of March 31. Crews from Hockey Night in Canada will be visiting the final five communities to broadcast live that evening when the winning community is announced.
Martins, who got the ball rolling by officially nominating the town and the Sun Bowl Arena on the Kraft Hockeyville website more than two months ago, has booked the Sonora Centre for Saturday night when the Top 5 will be announced.
She’s confident a large crowd will show up to continue the momentum that has been generated over the past eight or nine weeks.
“We don’t know when Hockey Night in Canada will be making the announcement on the Top 5, so I’m asking everyone who’s interested to show up between 5 and 8 p.m. to get ready for the big announcement,” she said. “I’ve had a good feeling from day one that Osoyoos was going to do something special in this contest and I’m really hoping we get some great news Saturday night and make the Top 5.”
Martins was interviewed last week on CBC Radio and made it clear this journey to get Osoyoos on the national map through the Kraft Hockeyville contest has been an amazing journey shared by hundreds of people in this community.
“The community support has been unbelievable,” she said. “Osoyoos is a small town, but we love our hockey and we’re like one big family here and the amount of support has been just awesome.
“I’ve got calls from people in Saskatchewan and the United States who told me they went online and voted for Osoyoos for three hours straight. The whole thing has just been a lot of fun and I think it’s really brought this community together.”
Martins remains very confident Osoyoos is going to get some very good news Saturday night.
“I really like our chances,” she said. “We’ve made the Top 15 so it’s obviously not just a popularity contest based on population. I have a very good vibe this isn’t over.”
If Osoyoos does make the Top 5, Martins said she plans on organizing a huge “community party” at the Sun Bowl Arena on March 31, where the winner of Kraft Hockeyville 2012 will be announced on national television.
If the announcement isn’t good news, Martins said she won’t have a single regret and doubts the hundreds of local supporters will either.
“It has been so much fun watching the entire community rally together,” she said. “I grew up across from the Sun Bowl Arena and I know how much hockey means to the people of Osoyoos, so I never had any doubt we would do well in this contest.
“I really do believe we’re going to make the Top 5, but if we don’t that’s OK too because I know we gave it our best shot.”