Philippine Queens of Curling Fund 2023
Donation protected
The Beginning:
Team Philippines makes their world debut in curling! We have been given provisional membership into the World Curling Federation, meaning we can compete at all World Curling Federation Events. We begin our very own version of the classic underdog story: atypical athletes in the sport due to our tropical roots with limited access to ice. Nevertheless, we have the spirit of curling in us, and will do what it takes to make our country proud. As the Philippine Queens of curling, we want to become ambassadors of our sport and culture while going for Gold!
We would like to enlist all of you in our journey. As a small, self-funded group of people trying to make a big impact on the world, we cannot accomplish everything on our own. Donations will be used exclusively for Team's travel expenses, lodging, registration fees, training, equipment, uniforms, etc. Our first year will definitely be the hardest as we go through the motions for the first time while preparing for more competitions. Let's start Team Philippines on the right foot!
How you can help:
Please take a look at some of our options, and feel free to participate in any or all of the following:
1) Donations through GoFundMe: Any amount would be generous!
Anyone donating $50+ will get a signed photo from us!
$100+ for a video shoutout
For example:
$20 can help fund one broom cover
$60 can help fund one team jersey (We need to order jerseys in both light and dark colors)
$100 can help fund one team jacket (We need to order uniforms in both light and dark colors)
$150 can help fund one team broom
$300 can help fund one round trip plane ticket from California to Kelowna
$1,200 can help fund lodgings for Kelowna
Get your tee and hoodie through our Philippine Queens of Curling Store: pqcurlingmerch (https://stores.inksoft.com/pqcurlingmerch)
2) Other ways to help: Team Philippine Women Online Store
We have a variety of t-shirts, sweatshirts, pins, and stickers and will be unveiling new merchandise periodically so check often!
3) Sponsors: We are looking for Sponsors to put on our team shirts that we wear off ice. Depending on the competition, we can have corporate sponsors in various locations on the uniforms we will be wearing. Please consider these opportunities to ride the Philippine wave of social media when we feature your business logos.
Meet the Team:
Donna "Piko Piko" Umali was born and raised in Hawaii, is a Custom T-shirt Printer, Life Coach certified, Singer/Songwriter, Film/TV trained, Supermom, very resilient genes from Barroga/Umali lines. Donna started curling in 2007 when she became one of the original members of the Hollywood Curling in Los Angeles. She found herself addicted to high level curling competitions after competing in three Club Nationals from 2009 - 2011. Then she sought to feed her appetite for international tournaments after her participation in The 2012 Pacific International Cup, The 2012 Glynhill Ladies Invitational in Scotland, and 2017 U.S. Women's National Championships. Maybe Donna's ancestors and departed Dad will be watching this historic moment in time and cheering from above.
Born in Cavite, Micha "Imelda" Suarez spent her formative years in the Philippines walking on beaches, enjoying green sour mangoes, twirling the baton, and competing in beauty pageants before moving to San Diego where she developed a love for hip hop dance, cheerleading for charitable causes, and veganizing traditional Filipino dishes. Micha began curling in February 2019 after closely following the MiraCurl On Ice on TV in 2018. She normally curls as a skip out of Curl San Diego and is also a member of the Orange County Curling Club. She hopes to inspire future generations of curling fangirls throughout the Philippine diaspora and open the MSNECC – a dedicated curling facility in San Diego with serpentine motifs.
Jenn "Guam Bomb" de la Fuente is a proud Filipina and islander from Guam. Despite her tropical roots, Jenn has always felt at home on ice as a curler and a hockey player. She took up curling in 2012 after a fellow group of hockey fans invited her to a Learn to Curl session in Los Angeles, and the rest is history. Jenn competed in the 2018 Arena Nationals and 2022 California State Games, as well as various bonspiels up and down the West Coast. She is also a certified Level 1 instructor with USA Curling. A lifelong athlete, it is an honor for Jenn to represent her ancestral homeland as a curler. When she’s not curling, Jenn is an adjunct professor of public relations at her alma mater, the University of Southern California. She is also a terrible hockey player, an avid college football and hockey fan, a scuba diver, and a world-class goofball.
Anne "Masskara" Bonache was born and raised in Bacolod City, Philippines. She started curling in 2022 and won her first game in an all-women’s bonspiel that same year. She is a current member of the Wine Country Curling Club. Beyond the ice rink, she is a fervent traveler and takes immense delight in everything Taylor Swift. When she’s not curling, she’s dedicatedly training for a marathon. Professionally, she is a devoted Physical Therapist. Anne is a big foodie, and her top three Pinoy dishes are Bijon, Lumpia, and Sinigang. She eagerly anticipates the adventures that lie ahead in representing the Philippines in the world of curling.
Coach Miguel “Miggy” Gutierrez is the proud son of a Filipino household in Queens, New York. His curling experience started college with the Villanova Curling Team and now plays in the Brooklyn Lakeside Curling Club. Miggy’s international experience includes representing USA Curling in the 2019 Can Am Cup of Curling along with coaching the Men’s Kenyan Curling Team in the 2022 Pan Continental Curling Championships. Although honored by previous accomplishment, he is delighted to finally have the opportunity to represent his Filipino heritage. When not curling, Miggy works in the Sports Technology sector and enjoys trying new and exotic foods, traveling, and playing board games.
Join the Hive! Be part of the Philippine Women's National Curling Team (aka Team Umali aka The Philippine Queens of Curling) with @pqcurling though:
Our website is: www.pqcurling.com
Upcoming Events:
29 October - 4 November 2023 | Kelowna, BC, Canada
Pan Continental Curling Championships 2023
#curling #PCCC2023
Dec 8-10, 2023, Potomac Curling Club
Embassy Row: Philippines
Get your tee and hoodie through our Philippine Queens of Curling Store: pqcurlingmerch (https://stores.inksoft.com/pqcurlingmerch)
Fundraising team (5)
Donna Umali
Organizer
Burbank, CA
Micha Suarez
Team member
Miguel Gutierrez
Team member
Jennifer de la Fuente
Team member
Benjo Delarmente
Team member