The Laycock curling team’s visit to LeRoy proves the curling rink committee’s hard work was all worth it, chair Brenda Paetsch said.

“We’ve had so much support from the community, from the businesses and the people coming out, so it’s just a really good feeling.”

About 125 people, mostly kids from LeRoy and a few from Watson, came out to meet Steve Laycock and Dallan and Kirk Muyres on Wednesday.

The team showed them medals they’d won and drew for some signed jerseys and brooms.

One of the kids who won “screamed with glee, it was excellent,” Paetsch said.

Dallan then played rocks and rings with the younger kids, while Kirk and Laycock gave two 45-minute clinics to the older ones.

“They were terrific with the kids - the kids all had a blast and it was just really wonderful of them,” Paetsch said.

This is the first year the rink is up and running, so the visit was perfect timing to get youth interested in the sport, she said.

She praised the team for coming to visit a small town right before their Christmas break.

“The community is abuzz and it’s just good for the curling rink.”

The rink is scheduled to host a Boxing Day bonspiel, a ladies open bonspiel in January, a seniors bonspiel in February and a mixed bonspiel in March, as well as regular games each Monday and Wednesday in the new year.