Riverdale League Update on 2020-21 refunds and contingency from 2019-20

Hi Riverdale – 

Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful holiday, and that 2021 will bring happiness and health to all members. 

This email is to provide an update on the Executive’s plan for providing refunds to members as well as outline our plan to provide financial support to the Royals while they deal with a year-long shutdown. 

Status of the Royals 

The Royals has a number of expenses to pay in order to keep the building safe and ready for a return to curling next season. On top of this, there are a number of upgrades that the club will need moving forward beyond COVID, including fixing the heating inside the building (you may remember this breaking down last season), replacing the compressor and chiller (both past their life expectancy) and continuing general upgrades like the locker rooms and bathrooms. 

For this year, although the club has minimized their expenses as much as possible and is applying for loans and grants, they still require approximately $100,000 to cover operating expenses until next season, with more money on top of that for regular upgrades. 

Much of that support will be coming from Royals Club League members, who are being asked to contribute $350 each. However, as the Club’s largest rental league we feel we have some responsibility for supporting the club as best we can. 

To that end, the Executive has decided to donate the unallocated prize money from the 2019-20 season ($5,400) to the Royals. This money was held back to deal with the potential financial implications of COVID, and this is exactly that scenario. If the Royals does not survive, it will be very difficult, and likely impossible, to find another club to accommodate our league. 

2020-21 Refunds 

We are beginning the process of issuing refunds for the 2020-21 season. If you registered and paid for 2020-21, please complete this form before January 15, 2021 to confirm whether you want a refund or if you want to donate all or part of your fees to the Club. 

We are offering our members the option to put all or part of your refund toward the club. You can also contribute additional funds over and above your fee, if you choose. Anything donated will go directly to the club as a donation from the Riverdale League. The league will be included on a “We The Royals” donor recognition list that is being established by the Club, which will be prominently featured for the next three years at the Club and online. 

We understand that every person’s situation is different and not everyone is in a position to waive their refund. We also understand that many of our members are also Royals club members, and therefore have made their contribution to the club outside of the Riverdale League. The contribution from the league will be made without names attached as a contribution from the Riverdale league in aggregate. 

Refunds will be issued as quickly as possible in January. Please note for anyone who submitted their fees via e-transfer: we do not have the capability to send e-transfer refunds, so we will need to issue a physical cheque. This will require time to coordinate signing and mailing. 

Should you decide to make an additional contribution as part of the league donation to the Club, please e-transfer your donation to payments@gaycurl.ca before January 31, 2021. 

All members of the executive are making a donation to the Royals, and we encourage you to join us if you are able to. Once the refunds are issued and the club contribution made, no money held over from last season as contingency nor any of the money collected this season will remain with the Riverdale league. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to a member of the executive. We’re happy to address any concerns you might have or clarify the process if needed. 

And again, thank you very much for your patience and understanding as we’ve navigated this difficult year. 

Happy 2021! Take care, and looking forward to hearing from you soon. 

Edward


Edward Dodd
Vice President
Riverdale Curling League
http://toronto.gaycurl.ca/