Community Fund’s event was all wet!

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It is a remarkable thing to watch your friends and neighbours cheer and yell encouragement to people trying to dump other friends and neighbours in a tank of cold water. It is, also, really great fun. Last weekend, the North Grenville Community Fund held an unusual fund raiser at the eQuinelle Golf Club. Executive directors, business owners, board members of voluntary organisations, and our own Mayor David Gordon, all challenged one another to see who could raise the most money: the losers went into the dunk tank! The winner had the pleasure of throwing the first ball to trigger the drop into the water.

On a lovely summer’s evening, they all gathered at the Golf Club to see who would be the ones to get soaking wet in a good cause. A long list of local businesses sponsored the event with the usual generosity shown by our community’s economic powerhouses. In addition to the Dunk Tank Challenge, there was a Movie Night once the sun went down. D’von Wallace, of Eleuthville Media, showed a promotional video about the NG Community Fund, and this was followed by a double bill: a movie for the kids, calle Moana. There was the Southgate Church bouncy obstacle course, face painting, popcorn, hamburgers, hot dogs and more. Money from popcorn sales was sponsored by Abbott Road Suites, popped by Penny Beavis of Coldwell Banker and with proceeds going to the Kemptville Youth Centre. But the main focus of those attending was the Dunk Tank: and the howls of laughter and cheers of appreciation rang over the driving range and beyond. A short video of the dunking can be viewed on our website at ngtimes.ca (view video). The two MC’s for the evening, Daren Givoque of O’Farrell Financial Services, and Tina Murray of Dominion Lending Centres, each experienced the thrill of being dunked by friends and family (Daren more than once!).

Susan Smith, of Kemptville & District Home Support, had challenged Jim Beveridge of the B&H and had raised the most money. But she chose to take Jim’s place, as she explains in her article in this issue. Jim gallantly decided to reciprocate her gesture by deliberately missing when he threw the ball at the target. To his surprise, he hit it first time, and down went Susan and her rubber chicken and duck, the first dunkees of the night.

Mayor David Gordon really got into the spirit of the thing: on a number of occasions he couldn’t wait for the balls to hit the target, triggering the drop in more direct ways. Of course, as a result, he became the target when his turn came to sit above the dunk tank. There was quite a line-up of people eager to see him drop, including municipal CAO, Brian Carré. In the end, it was our own Maggie Boyer who dished out David’s own treatment and pushed the trigger without waiting for a hit. Great fun and amusement all round.

The NG Community Fund presented a cheque for more than $1,400 to Ryan’s Well, one for $1,918 to Kemptville & District Home Support and $1,400 to KYC. Over $10,000 was raised, $5000 being put into the Community Fund, giving the fund a legacy of $250.00 a year to give back to the community for generations to come.

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