A unique fundraiser held in Red Deer last week has raised more than $50,000 for the MS Society.
‘Game of Thrones’ took place in Red Deer on April 1st and 2nd. The event saw 10 teams going around the City on April 1st pranking individuals by delivering a brightly decorated toilet to their home or office. By donation the toilet was removed. The person who was pranked could then prank someone of their choosing and the teams collected donations along the way.
The teams competed with each other to see who can raise the most money and there will also be prizes for the ‘best dressed’ toilet as well.
The second part of the fundraiser was held April 2nd at Bo’s Bar & Grill and included a 50/50 draw, a silent auction and the judging of the ‘best dressed’ toilets.
Bre Fitzpatrick, one of the organizers for the event, was thrilled with the amount that was raised – $51,000. Last year the event raised $8,000.
“We were really pumped! It was a major jump from last year and it is amazing,” she said. “The first day (April 1st) raised over $30,000. We had great reception from the Red Deer area and we were so blown away – what an amazing community we are a part of.
“Another huge part was another one of the groups reported back that evening at how prevalent MS is in our community. They went into one business and a gentleman came out and said that he was diagnosed with MS a few weeks ago. When I hear stuff like that, to show people that there are ways of still living and still enjoying life, and that there is community support for the different illnesses that we face. To be able to show him that in that moment – that is very powerful. That means more than raising the money – that someone knows they are going to be supported through this process is huge,” said Fitzpatrick, who was diagnosed with MS in 2010.
Fitzpatrick is raising funds with her team for the two-day Johnson MS Bike Tour in August. All proceeds will go to the MS Society.
According to the MS Society, multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system which is composed of the brain and spinal cord. The disease attacks the myelin which is a covering wrapped around the nerves of the central nervous system.
There are about 14,000 persons affected by MS in Alberta.
Fitzpatrick is still hoping to raise over $60,000 before the Johnson MS Bike Tour and said she is confident her team can do so.
“The thing that I can take away from this the most is that from growing up in Red Deer I always knew that this was an amazing community and they didn’t fail to disappoint,” she said. “It gives me so much confidence that for anyone going through a variety of illnesses or situations in life that they might face – it just shows me that when we choose to work collaboratively how much strength there is in that.”
efawcett@reddeerexpress.com
