Board gamers around the world are huddled around tabletops, knipsing on Manitoba-made, hand-crafted crokinole boards that are helping people with intellectual disabilities find training and work.

The game boards are just one of several wood products manufactured by Blue Sky Opportunities' woodworking department since the late 1980s. Blue Sky is a non-profit organization located in Altona committed to maximizing the independence of adults with intellectual disabilities, through employment and residential opportunities.

Woodshop manager, Curt Hildebrand, explains it all started about a year-and-a-half ago when Ted Fuller, the president of Crokinole Canada, reached out to Blue Sky about selling and distributing their product. Hildebrand believes it is their unique product that appealed to Fuller, noting Blue Sky's crokinole boards are made of several pieces joined together by hand rather than cut from one piece of wood using CNC technology.

Since then, Hildebrand says Blue Sky has shipped hundreds of crokinole boards to the online distributor, which have since been sold around the world with sales recorded in the United States, England and even Thailand.

"Jesus said that 'whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' I see this business as operating on a love-first principle"

"Ironically, he sold a board just a short while back to a customer in Roseisle, Manitoba. So our board went to St. Mary's, Ontario and then got shipped back," he chuckled.

In a statement, Fuller confirmed it was the unique design and attention to detail that made Blue Sky's crokinole boards a perfect addition to Crokinole Canada's lineup.

A man puts crokinole pieces into a bagPackaging the playing discs into bags of 24. The discs are not made at Blue Sky Opportunities but rather ordered in lots of 40,000 pieces.

"Specifically, I was impressed with the biscuit cut design and the extra thick wood used for the base of the board," he said, "a biscuit cut board is rare, there are only a few people making them in this style. Mostly hobbyists. I cannot source them from anywhere else with the quantities that we require. So that is why we knew this was the board to sell."

In addition to offering a thicker playing surface than most traditional octagon boards and structurally sound construction, Fuller noted he is also impressed with the high-quality, Maple product produced by those at Blue Sky.

"They are sanded well and the surface is smooth. And the lines with point numbers are ideal for beginners. Also, the checkers on the back is always a nice touch," he said.

"I also like working with Curt (Hildebrand) because he puts the customer first and the people at his work first too," added Fuller. "For example, I had an order for 63 laser engraved boards with a corporate logo on them recently. Curt went out of his way, sourced a laser engraver to do the job, and the engraving on the rail looked amazing! Curt is very resourceful to and when it comes to shipping he does it right. He actually builds a large, thick wooden crate for each order and sends it cost-effectively by transport to Crokinole Canada."

"I also like the fact that Curt (Hildebrand) and the team help the needy among us," noted Fuller. "Jesus said that 'whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' I see this business as operating on a love-first principle towards the needy and that makes me very happy to buy from them. It's the demonstration of this that counts to me so I am planning on continuing to buy and sell as many boards as we reasonably can through Blue Sky."

"I wish a great blessing on these guys and for many years to come," he said.

2 people put a finished board into its shipping box

Meantime, Hildebrand added that each shipment of crokinole boards sent to Crokinole Canada includes a 'Thank You' letter addressed to Fuller and written by someone who participates in the Day Program at Blue Sky Opportunities. He says Fuller takes the time to respond to each letter.

Overall, Hildebrand says Blue Sky is on track to produce 900 crokinole boards this year.

"I'll have to order more material to cover, but yeah, it's been a year," he noted, suggesting perhaps the increase in demand could be attributed, in part, to people staying home more due to COVID-19 and finding new, or rediscovering old, pastimes.