The kick off to the 31st annual Heart and Stroke Curlathon is Friday, Nov. 12 and what better way to celebrate than become an honourary Newfie?

At the Screech, Skuffle and Skoff being held at Finnegans Wake Irish Pub you can enjoy an authentic Newfoundlander Jigg's dinner (the Skoff), live entertainment (the Skuffle) and become a card-carrying honourary Newfie after you kiss the cod and drink the Screech.

Tickets to the event that starts at 6 p.m. are $10 per plate and will be available only at the door the day of the event. The proceeds from the dinner tickets are being donated to the Curlathon. Organizer Verna Oderkirk Bungay, organizer of the Curlathon, said their fundraising goal is $20,000.

"This is mostly to bring to everyone's attention that we are having the Curlathon again, to pique their interest," she said. "Hopefully we will get some more volunteers to come out and get people interested in entering their teams."

Every year the Curlathon has a theme that is reflected in costumes the curlers wear and the 2011 Curlathon's theme is Show Time, so expect to see people dress up as actors and characters.

A volunteer meeting is being held Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. at Frank's Steak and Schnitzel Haus and everyone interested in volunteering to help make the Curlathon a success is encouraged to come out. Those who can't make it to the event can call Oderkirk Bungay at 250-919-0401. Some of the tasks volunteers are needed for vary from prep work like food and prize pick-up and letter deliver, the day of the event helping with registration and pledge counting, and post event doing tear down and thank you note deliveries.

Those who would like to enter a team in the Curlathon can also call Oderkirk Bungay at the above number to get a head start.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, every seven minutes in Canada someone dies from heart disease or stroke and in 2006 cardiovascular disease accounted for 30 per cent of all male deaths and 31 per cent of all female deaths.

It is also estimated heart disease and stroke costs the Canadian economy more than $22.2 billion yearly. The money raised by the Curlathon in Cranbrook will go towards research on cardiovascular disease and finding cures.