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The 2008 Ford World Women's Curling Championship received $50,000 from Hosting BC. International athletes at the event gain rankings and points toward Olympic Winter Games standings. The Championship drew 60 athletes, aged 21-35, from 12 countries including Russia, China, and the Czech Republic as well as curlers from Manitoba. They played in front of 65,000 spectators with an estimated TV audience of five million and a webcast audience of 350,000. More than 550 volunteers supported the event. Junior curlers across BC were able to witness elite athletes in action which resulted in a boost in enrolment in the Junior Stars program of curling sport development. Approximately $60,000 in event revenue was invested in the curling community. The communities of Armstrong and Winfield hosted teams for practice rounds and direct economic and tourism benefits were estimated at $12 million for the North Okanagan and BC. Unprecedented TV coverage gave significant profile to the area, contributing to future sport and other tourism. Officials and volunteers upgraded skills to international levels to form an experienced resource pool for future events. Sustainable community legacies include upgrading of the Wesbild Centre, the Vernon Curling and Athletic Club and the Vernon and District Recreation Centre.
