By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
The first ever Checkerboard Challenge saw great success, raising more than $34,000 on behalf of the local hospitals.
On 20 June, 97.9 The Bruce or 91.9 in the North were live on location on the sidewalk at The Shops at 84 Main in Lion’s Head. Radio personalities Brian Longmire and Mike Brough kept the lively, jovial broadcast going for eight hours.
Challenges by community members to each other, draws, shout outs to donors, cheque presentations, stories, interviews and live music by local musicians made for an entertaining day. Many locals wandered down to check out the event and at times the sidewalk was quite the social gathering.
Donor tables were also set up at local grocery stores Fretz’s Valumart, Wiarton Foodland, Hellyer’s Foodland, and Peacocks Foodland, with each establishment supplying gift cards for draws. At Hellyer’s Foodland, many shoppers stopped by to give a donation.
Throughout the day, people stopped by the broadcasting booth location to drop off donations. Even in the final minutes of the live broadcast, people were coming by to drop off donations.
April Patry, Director of the Bruce Peninsula Hospital Foundation was thrilled with the response and said it was an enjoyable time. The Foundation says they will definitely do the event again next year.
