Heather Latter
After locking up more than 20 “convicts” at Canadian Tire on Saturday, organizers of the “Jail or Bail” event deemed the fundraiser a success.
Hosted by the Voyageur Lions Club, close to $9,000 was raised, which exceeded their goal of $6,000.
“It went really well,” enthused club president Bill Michl.
“Everyone who took part was great.”
“We’re really happy with how it turned out—we had a great time,” echoed club member Diana Larocque.
Members of the public had been approached prior to the event, asking if they’d be willing to be “locked up” for a portion of the day.
The “convicts” then were given pledge sheets and required to raise at least $300 in order to be bailed out.
Steve Latimer, youth justice co-ordinator with the United Native Friendship Centre here, played the role of judge.
Each “convict” was brought before the judge and read their charges, which, of course, were frivolous and funny.
The auxiliary police were on hand to act as the bailiff while the local ambulance service also stopped by.
“There was a lot of laughter,” Larocque recalled, adding Latimer certainly did a good job in his role.
“He was even tacking on more charges for some them,” she chuckled.
“And you know what? People didn’t even flinch.”
In some instances, people paid to keep the “convict” in jail and then they had to raise that much more to get out.
She added one “convict” stayed in for several hours before he raised his $300 bail.
“We’re really, really happy,” Larocque stressed. “They were all awesome. [The participants] went above and beyond.
“They are the ones that made the day, not only helping us with our fundraiser but helping us make it fun.”
Larocque said they had many positive comments from people and many stopped to check out what was going on.
“It was interesting,” noted “convict” Paula Jensen of the newly-opened salon, “Shear Serenity.”
“The jail set-up was really cute and it looked like everyone was having a lot of fun,” she added.
Jensen said thanks to some loyal clients who didn’t want to see her in jail, it didn’t take her long to make bail.
Meanwhile, Ben Morelli of “From the Grind Up” saw himself locked up for about an hour.
“It was all for a good cause,” he reasoned. “I remember my dad doing the event when I was a kid, so I think it’s neat that it went full circle.
“They had a great turnout and it was a lot of fun,” he said, adding he’d certainly be willing to take part in the event again.
Both Larocque and Michl said due to the success of the “Jail or Bail,” which hasn’t been done locally for many years, they plan to bring it back as an annual fundraiser.
“We want to fine-tune it and make it bigger and better next year,” Michl stressed, adding maybe next year the weather will be pleasant enough to hold the event outdoors.
“That was our intention this time, to have it in the parking lot,” he explained. “But the weather didn’t co-operate.”
The cool weather and intermittent snow forced the fundraiser inside the doors of Canadian Tire.
Michl said store owner Rick Smith was very accommodating, clearing some stock out of the way in order to make room for the jail cell, penny table, refreshments, and spectators.
But Michl isn’t sure how much the weather played into the success of the fundraiser.
“Maybe if it had been a nice day, people would have stayed at home and worked in their yards instead of going out,” he reasoned.
“But at the same time, if the event had been out in the parking lot, it might have attracted a little more attention.”
Either way, he and Larocque were very pleased with the outcome of the event—gaining four new members and raising close to $9,000.
“We were very happy to get four new members from the event,” Michl enthused, noting the “judge” offered to lower the bail for some of the “convicts” if they agreed to join the club.
“Some agreed to join and then continued to raise their full bail,” he remarked.
“And we still have more money coming in,” said Larocque, adding anyone who missed making a donation can do so until May 20 by calling her (274-1246) or Michl (274-1329).
All the money raised will go toward projects supported by the Voyageur Lions Club.
“We’re inundated with requests from the public to help out with various things,” Larocque reiterated.
She noted the local club helps fund the dog guide program, collects eye glasses, supports vision screening clinics, and assists with Meals on Wheels.
It also offers support to Special Olympics, swim teams, and squash clubs—just to name a few.
“The money stays in the community to help people in the community,” Larocque stressed.
The club’s next event will be the Fort Frances Purina Walk for Dog Guides on Sunday, June 2.
