Ling Lee's restaurant makes $25K donation to help curling club buy new ice chiller

Superior Morning9:26Ling Lee Donation

We help each other. That's what the president of the Port Arthur Curling Club says when the club received an unexpected donation from it's dining room partner.

The president of the Port Arthur Curling Club says he is overwhelmed by a $25,000 donation from the owner of Ling Lee's restaurant.

Kent Maarup said the money will be used to finish paying off the cost of a new chiller for the ice at the rink.

Ling Lee's daughter, Norine Karschti, now runs the restaurant that has had a decades-long partnership with the curling club. Karschti made the donation in memory of her father, who passed away several years ago

Maarup said Karschti's generous gift is just another example of the special relationship the curling club and restaurant have shared for years.

"They've been part of our club for 43 [years] and we'd love it to be another 43. It means the world to us," Maarup said.

"She helps out with all the bonspiels. We help each other survive. She has the restaurant part and we take care of the bar part and we work together on functions."

Thunder Bay may be the only city in Canada to offer Chinese food at all its curling clubs, Maarup said.

"Everybody comes here to enjoy Chinese food now," he continued.

"It's more of a Thunder Bay thing, because I haven't noticed any other clubs around the country that sell Chinese food. Most people just have burger joints and hot dogs."

Hugs all around

In northwestern Ontario, the Fort William Curling Club and the Kakabeka Curling club also sell Chinese food.

"It makes us probably unique in the country," Maarup said.

The curling club's new chiller cost close to $75,000 and club members had already raised more than $48,000 for its purchase. So when Karschti pulled out a cheque on the heels of donating a 55-inch screen TV Maarupsaidmembers at the annual general club meeting were taken aback.

She received a standing ovation "and everybody starting hugging her. Everybody thought it was the greatest thing that could have ever happened."

Ling Lee's has been part of the curling club since 1973. The club itself is more than 100 years old.