Suddenly, owning a sports team isn’t something that’s out of reach. Anyone can become an owner of the Nanaimo Clippers.
The city’s B.C. Hockey League franchise survived a threat of relocation and will stay in town, thanks to efforts and money from a handful of individuals.
It’s led to the creation of the Clippers Hockey Society, and the non-profit is now seeking new members. Those who pitch in don’t exactly become owners – the society is the owner – but that’s really just a technicality.
It’s kind of a fun concept, being an owner of a hockey team, and the Nanaimo Clippers hope the novelty of the idea will appeal to people. It only takes a $5 donation to become a member of the society, or $100 to be a voting member and help determine the board of directors, which has authority over paid staff.
The current fundraising efforts don’t have anything to do with the day-to-day operations of the hockey club or the budget for the coming season – the Clippers hope that their business plan will allow them to be self-sufficient in that respect.
No, the current campaign is all about ensuring that Nanaimo owns the Clippers. The hockey club has been sold, but there is still a balance owing, and the society needs approximately $650,000 to complete that sale. At that point, the Clippers will be free and clear to set sail as a community-owned team.
It’s a lot of money to raise, but maybe it’s do-able. There was a lot of evidence, in recent weeks, that people care about the Clippers. For example, this social media post, when things looked bleak, from a young Clippers fan:
“I have like $4 but if I could, I would buy @ClippersHockey so they could stay (crying emoji),” she wrote. “Please don’t go (broken-heart emoji) #savetheclippers.”
It might take more than $4 – it might take $5. But things have a way of working out sometimes.
Owning a sports team is something any of us can do. The Clippers are easier to root for than ever. They’re Nanaimo’s team, more than ever.
We are all Clippers.
I have like $4 but if I could, I would buy @ClippersHockey so they could stay ? Please don't go ? #savetheclippers https://t.co/GmIcQqXyNZ
— little swimmer dog (@hayleyad) March 19, 2017