Kimberley, the Dynamiters need your help.

The Nitros had been bracing for a tough season at the gate, given the current economic downturn. However, the KIJHL club has seen a half-empty Civic Centre a few too many times.

“This is the end of the year for us. We’re thinking we’re going to make it through, but we do need more support from our community,” said team president Rick Prasad. “I’m creating this plea because we need to make sure we’re around for next year. We knew going into the year that it would be a tough year financially. It’s not that we’re broke, but we need to see more season ticket holders, we need to see more people attending our games. We really need to have our community rally behind us.”

Last summer, a lowlife broke into the Dynamiters’ locker room and stole thousands of dollars in equipment. There has been no resolution in the case.

“That was not a good way to start the year,” said Prasad. “Since then, some organizations and individuals have stepped up a bit, but we just want to see more people in the stands. We really need that.”

Without increased support, he said the franchise is in danger of disappearing.

“We’re the only game in town right now, and we’d hate to see what’s happened in other communities. It’s a tragedy. Minor hockey will suffer. It’s an entertainment venue for people in this town. The history of this town has been tremendous regarding the Dynamiters. It’s just one of those things: we’d hate to see it vanish on us.”

He said, except for a select few, the majority of KIJHL teams have suffered at the gate this year.

“We’re not the only one. Teams have moved out of their communities, and we don’t want to see that happen. They’ve all fought to get them back, and we don’t want to be in that situation where we have to discontinue service until, financially, things come back online.”

Osoyoos was without the KIJHL for four seasons. They lost the Storm to Kamloops in 2006, and will re-enter the league next season with the Coyotes.

Prasad said it’s discouraging to look into the stands on game night and see swaths of empty seats.

“When we see Fernie come in, then we start to see the numbers that we’re used to. It just feels like the rivalry isn’t there with some of the other local teams, yet with Creston we have a great rivalry and we do with Golden as well,” he said. “We play them as much as we do Fernie, yet we see smaller crowds. I don’t think people are aware of where our rivalries lie now.

“There are a lot of players coming from teams outside the area that are going to go on and play high level hockey; we might see them in the WHL and NHL. People have lost sight of that.”

While more tourists are coming to Nitros’ games, fewer local high school students are.

“We want to get them out,” said the president. “They’re always entertaining at games. Just having them there is entertainment in itself.”

The club will campaign hard to increase the number of season ticket holders for next season; sales will start shortly after playoffs end.

Those playoffs start next week, and Prasad is hoping for a good run.

“If you go three rounds deep, it will give you probably a quarter of your operating budget,” he said. “For each round, it’s close to 10 per cent of your next year’s budget.

“In the end, if we want to have a winning team and put a quality team on the ice, that goes hand in hand with what we have in the stands.”

The club also needs more volunteers. If you’d like to help out, contact Prasad at 427-8943 or Marti Dockendorff at 427-9866