A big year for the House of Hearts Charity Bonspiel at the Duluth Curling Club.

Cenovus Energy stepped up to be the title sponsor. And that helped them get to the $154,000 fundraising mark.

Project Joy will benefit from the money. The non-profit aims to end childhood hunger, and supports different organizations that provide food to people in need.

The Plys family started this effort after the loss of Duluth Hall of Famer Patrick Plys, whose motto was “I choose joy.”

Curlers come from around the country for the chance to play with Celebrity Skips who are Olympians and World Champions and more. This year, skips came from places like Germany, Scotland, Norway, and Canada, in addition to Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Richie Ruohonen, one of the Minnesota skips, shared, “I think we take for granted we know where our next meal is coming from. And other people don’t. So it’s great to help out.”

He added, “The curling community has given us a lot, so it’s good to give back.”

Generous sponsors and donations from around the community helped make this three day event possible.