Greenville club welcomes newcomers, teaches Olympic sport

The 2022 Winter Olympics may boast a few curling competitors from the Upstate thanks to Furman Biology professor Alison Roark, president of the Palmetto Curling Club (PCC). She became associated with the group through a 2014 open house she attended on a whim at the Pavilion Recreation Complex. In an article appearing in The Greenville News, Roark said, “I figured I would go out, take some pictures, post them on Facebook and be done. Now here I am, president of the club and loving every minute of it.” Biology professor Laura Thompson, another curling devotee, also appeared in the story. Roark said the PCC  holds open house events to give people a chance to experience curling and see how demanding and fun it can be. The events take place at the Pavilion Recreation Complex in Taylors Feb. 20 and 27.