Although Prince Rupert’s Overwaitea Foods has been involved with the local Relay for Life event for years now, this year employees are taking fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society to the next level by holding pre-relay activities at Overwaitea on Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6.
“The whole idea is to generate as much funds as humanly possible for cancer research, because we’ve all been affected by it,” said Overwaitea store manager Dan Hansen.
The activities will start on May 5 with Spin the Wheel. Anyone who donates $5 to the cancer society will be able to spin a wheel for a chance to win a number of prizes including $100 travel gift cards donated by Hawkair, large quantities of Save-On points, food prizes, and more. Anyone that lands on the raffle entry will have his or her name put into a draw that will occur on Sunday, with the winner receiving a return trip to Vancouver.
Prior to May 5, a number of Overwaitea employees will be collecting pledges and if they receive their set fundraising goal they will get their heads shaved on Saturday, at 4 p.m.
“They have a couple of weeks to set that goal and get their friends, family, co-workers and community to pledge,” explained Hansen.
Sandy Jackson from Central Barber Shop will be coming in to donate her time and services for the head shaving, as well as a special hair design for whichever employee gets voted for it.
Hansen says the store has a minimum fundraising goal of $2,500 to be raised by Saturday, and if the store reaches that goal he has volunteered to have his head and his beard dyed bright yellow -- the colour of the Canadian Cancer Society. Hansen will keep his brightly coloured hair until the Relay for Life event, which would be over a month away.
“We have a very generous community and a generous team, so I expect to blow our goal away,” commented Hansen.
Then on Sunday, May 6, Hansen has volunteered to show how committed Prince Rupert’s Overwaitea is to raising money for the cancer society by holding a pre-Relay for Life relay, hiking 50 miles on a treadmill in the store.
“I don’t plan on running, I’m going to be taking it nice and easy. Fifty miles is a long stretch, so I’m thinking five miles an hour on average,” He said.
There will be a hot dog sale taking place on both Saturday and Sunday as well, starting at noon both days and running until 6 p.m.
Every ounce of funds that are raised from Overwaitea’s pre-relay activities such as spin the wheel, the barbeque, and all pledges from the relay and head shaving will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Then on the day of Prince Rupert’s Relay for Life event on Saturday, June 2, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Prince Rupert Middle School’s field, there will be a team of Overwaitea employees partaking in the relay, as well as employees selling hot roast sandwiches at the relay, with all proceeds going towards the cancer society.