Duane Hicks
The local Voyageur Lions Club will host its third-annual “Jail or Bail” in May—and are looking for “convicts” to participate.
The event will take place Saturday, May 23 in conjunction with the 2015 Community & Business Expo at the Memorial Sports Centre.
Participants are given a pledge sheet and will need to raise at least $300 between now and then to get out of jail, explained club member Bill Michl.
They will be summoned to appear before a “judge” at the trade show that day.
“We’ll ask them to come down about 15 minutes before the time we have them slotted,” noted Michl.
“If they’re not in a big hurry, we’ll keep them in for half-an-hour so we have somebody in the jail cell.
“But otherwise, if they’re in a hurry, we’ll read their charge and they pay their ‘bail’ and we let them go,” he added.
Family, friends, and colleagues can help the participant raise the $300 in pledges prior to May 23 so they won’t have to spend time behind bars.
If a participant fails to raise that amount, they’ll be “sentenced” to sit in a jail cell set up at the trade show until they can raise the balance.
This can be done by making phone calls to friends and family, as well as soliciting passers-by.
The fundraiser brought in $4,500 last year.
A total of 15 “convicts” were nabbed and forced to raise “bail,” including Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis, who raised more than $1,200.
Anyone interested in being a “convict” for a good cause can call Michl (276-1334), Gaby Hanzuk (274-3764), or Dale Gill (274-1982).
