A local speed skating club has been selected to receive $10,000 through an annual contest sponsored by Intact Insurance.

Speed Skating Canada announced that the winner of this year’s Intact Insurance Club Excellence Award is the BC-based Kamloops Long Blades Association. The $10,000 cash prize will be used to support the club’s grassroots development project, which aims to welcome new members.

“We are so excited to be able to introduce speed skating to some ‘new to Canada’ kids and their families,” said Kamloops Long Blades Association treasurer Trish Archibald. “The Intact Insurance Club Excellence Award will allow these kids to skate with our club, make new friends and have fun, without having to worry about the cost.”

Four other speed skating clubs were named as finalists for this year’s awards – Peninsula Speed Skating Club (North Saanich, BC), Milton Speed Skating Club (Milton, ON), Richmond Rockets Speed Skating Club (Richmond, BC) and Club de patinage de vitesse Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (Montréal, QC). They will each be awarded a $2,500 cash prize to finance their own initiatives.

“Intact Insurance is proud to be a long-time sponsor of Speed Skating Canada and see the direct and positive impact this partnership has on local clubs across the country,” said Intact Insurance vice president of marketing, customer experience, and data marketing Humberto Valencia.

“The funding provided through the Club Excellence Award will go a long way in helping these five clubs grow the sport in their respective communities, something that would not be possible without Intact Insurance’s ongoing support,” added Speed Skating Canada CEO Susan Auch.

Read more: Intact Insurance awards $10,000 to speed skating club

Last year, Speed Skating Canada and Intact Insurance conferred the award to Dartmouth Crossing Speed Skating Club. The funds were used by the club to reach out to families with limited financial resources, as well as those new to Canada.