The Jerry Calver Memorial Curling Bonspiel once again attracted a full complement of teams. The event was considered a roaring success! It was the 23rd year that the Club organized a curling bonspiel. It was named after Dr. Jerry Calver in 2013 following his premature death from pulmonary fibrosis. It was the second occasion that Lions Brian Moore and Luc Picknell were the key organizers.

The event raised just over $10,000 for Navan Lions funding projects and in particular allowed a donation to be made to the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (CPFF). The CPFF improves the lives of Canadians living with pulmonary fibrosis by providing compassionate support, leading advocacy, raising awareness, funding research, and inspiring hope.

A small contingent of participants this year had never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Jerry Calver or knew much about him. Placemats on each table provided everyone with some information while the emcee during Saturday’s dinner, Lion Tony Fiorentino, President of the Navan Lions Club, dedicated time before and after dinner to inform everyone about some of Jerry’s accomplishments including serving more than 30 years at Health Canada, becoming an expert on bacterial vaccines and publishing a book on the subject of biologics, which he dedicated to his wife Sheila for her patience and encouragement. Jerry not only served as the President of the Navan Curling Club in 1990-91, the year the club moved into new facilities, but was also the President of the Navan Lions Club on three separate seasons. He was inducted to the Navan Builder’s Wall in 2012.

The bonspiel serves as an important fundraiser for the Navan Lions Club, enabling us to support many organizations including the CPFF. The event is also an opportunity to reflect on the life lived by a former member of the Navan Lions Club, who was loved by many in the community.