When the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts begins on Feb. 21 at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, there will 48 stars on the ice and another 500 or so, working feverishly behind the scenes.
Those other stars are the volunteers that are vital in making the Canadian women's curling championship a success.
"We couldn't put on an event like this without the incredible effort by the volunteers,'' said Scotties chairman Chris Atchison. "Victoria is very fortunate to get an event like this but this wouldn't happen without the dedicated volunteers.''
The volunteers will be working in the HeartStop Lounge at the Victoria Curling Club, handling security, transportation, hosting and many other duties.
There is a volunteer rally today at Pearkes Recreation Centre from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. where they will receive their accreditation and uniforms.
Atchison said the goal for ticket sales is 100,000 and are closing in on the 70,000 mark.
"When some of the provincial champions were decided, we started to get some movement on the ticket sales,'' said Atchison. "Everyday, we are still selling full-event passes and the single-game tickets are also very popular. By nature, Victoria is a walk-up town and I think people are aware that the Scotties are coming and they are marking it on their calendar.
So far, Robyn MacPhee of Prince Edward Island, Team ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½'s Jennifer Jones from Winnipeg, Marla Mallett from Vancouver, Heather Strong from Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec's Marie-France Larouche and Nancy McConnery from Nova Scotia have claimed berths.
On Feb. 20, the preliminary round of the Ford Hot Shots will be free to the public from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
On Feb. 21, the opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. and the Ford Hot Shots finals at 10:15 a.m. are also free. The opening draw follows at noon on Feb. 21.
Atchison, who played lead at the 2007 Tim Hortons Brier with Victoria's Dean Joanisse, took this year off to give more time to the Scotties.
"I really miss the curling,'' said Atchison. "To fill the void, I'm coaching my son's pee wee Ice Hawks hockey team.''
