TRENTON
Get out the popcorn and find a comfy chair.
The Pictou County Scotians are going to try to accomplishment what the Junior A Crushers could not: pry some money from Pictou County council.
The Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League club has made a request for a $1,000 grant from the Municipality of Pictou County and it is expected the matter will be debated at a property and financial services committee meeting, to be held this coming Monday at 7 p.m.
It will take place two weeks after county council shot down a $1,000 request from the Crushers.
“We’re going to try it,” Scotians team governor Walter Smith said on Friday, admitting that it’s a long shot but one worth taking.
“It’s our first time (approaching a municipal council to make a funding request). We feel a thousand dollars is not too much to ask for, but we shall see.”
According to Smith, the Trenton-based Scotians, who have several Pictou County born-and-bred players on its roster, operate on an annual bare-bones budget of around $75,000-80,000, with much of that eaten up by travel costs.
“We run our team with no big sponsorship dollars. Most of the money is raised by the executive, selling tickets on raffles and 50/50 and we do got some revenue through sweater advertising.”
Gate receipts are also revenue-generators for the reigning league champions, but far less so than the various forms of raising funds the club must use, he added.
On Nov. 6, after what at times was an emotional debate among county council members, a similar request made by the Crushers was denied, by a 7-5 vote.
Earlier this year, the Crushers were able to secure a $7,500 sponsorship arrangement with the Town of New Glasgow.
