Last August, Anne Curley was expressing concern about the immediate future of the Huntsville Hawks.

The president of the junior B lacrosse team was worried about the team’s finances and the lack of volunteer help on the board of directors.

At the team’s season-ending banquet held that month, financial documents showed that the Hawks needed another $2,600 to make it through the end of the season.

The team was around $2,048 in the black, but there were still many outstanding invoices the club had yet to receive.

Fast forward to today and you will find a more relaxed Curley who says that the team’s turnaround off the floor has been nothing short of amazing.

“A number of people have come forward to help out. We have three or four people taking care of sponsorships and they have done an incredible job. This is the first year I know of that we have gone into a season with money.”

The Hawks are one of the few community-owned clubs in the Ontario Lacrosse Association’s Junior B Council. To make ends meet, the Hawks rely on proceeds from their Nevada tickets, off-season fundraising projects such as sweater sponsorships, raffles and various sales.

The team also counts on its gate to help pay the bills, which is not always the most reliable source of revenue.

In recent years, the Hawks have also had difficulty attracting new board members to their fold. Curley said that she is willing to remain president for one more season, but she will not be back after the 2008 season.

This year a number of volunteers have suddenly stepped up to assist with the team’s operation, including a board of directors totalling eight people. 

“There have been some new, young people come in and get involved. Quite a few of them have been involved with the sport before and they don’t want to see (the team) lost. They have young kids playing and they want to have it around for when their kids are ready to play. We have lots of work already done for the season. It has been a very surprising, positive experience,” she said.

Not all the pre-season news has been good for the Hawks. The team has been hit with a 10 per cent increase in its floor bill at the Jack Bionda Arena. The Hawks now face an increase from $52 per hour for games and $49 per hour for practices to $57 and $53 respectively.

 The team was to pay a five per cent increase this year for floor time, but that number has now been doubled as per the town council’s edict.

That means the Hawks will pay $2,059 for eight games this year at the Jack Bionda Arena, up from the $1,872 they paid last season.

Curley does not welcome the increase, however slight.

“It is very difficult (to handle) for very small organizations, which the Huntsville Hawks club is. With only 23 players allowed to play and a very short season, it makes it tough to secure sponsors and revenue.”

Joe O’Halloran, the team’s new head coach, is attempting to secure floor time at the Baysville Arena to begin training camp in the near future, said Curley.

The team has lost a number of star players due to age restrictions, but Curley thinks the team will be very competitive on the floor this year.

“We know we have lost a number of veterans, but we have lots of fourth-year players who are willing to assume a stronger role. They are really looking forward to the season.”

The team will hit the floor at the Jack Bionda Arena by April 14 in preparation for the 2008 season opener, which will be in Markham on April 27.

Huntsville’s first home game is May 3, when they host Cornwall.