When Prince George pop-culture fans were celebrating fictional heroes like Iron Man and The Man of Steel inside Northern FanCon, some real life heroes were outside the event collecting scrap metals and turning that into cash for the Variety Club - The Children's Charity.
ABC Recycling partnered with Northern FanCon and The Citizen to host the Community Clean-Up For Kids outside the event in the CN Centre gravel parking lot where there was space to drop off any household scrap metal - everything from copper to cans to cars - as well as refundable bottles.
The staff of ABC Recycling and several key partners celebrated the eco-affair by offering a $5 lunch all day, both days.
"I'd like to share that we raised a total of $22,826.99 during the two days we had the event," said ABC Recycling spokesperson Jasper Randolph Sy. With some additional contributions generated by the Community Clean-Up For Kids, the final total was $24,727 for Variety.
"Community members dropped off their scrap metal and recyclable bottles and beverage containers during the two day event, with all proceeds donated to Variety," he explained.
"ABC Prince George provided the equipment, bins and man-power for the event. A barbecue lunch was provided by Centennial Food Service. Nechako Bottle Depot provided beverages to go with lunch and staff to collect recyclable beverage containers. Vista Radio's The Goat / Country 97 FM and Prince George Citizen provided promotion and media coverage. Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable (MAAR) provided funding to receive appliances, evacuate and dispose of freon products from fridges, freezers and other appliances. And finally, the partnership of Canfor was instrumental in making this event so successful."
Wednesday was the first ever Variety Mobility Day.
"(We celebrated) the day promoting accessibility and inclusiveness while raising funds to provide much-needed mobility equipment for children who experience mobility challenges. Our goal is to raise enough money to fund two Adaptive Trikes in each of our five health regions," said a written statement from Variety - The Children's Charity. This organization is focused on helping children with special needs, because the formal medical system does not cover all of the costs and tools that help these young people grow and thrive. Variety steps in where health care ends, and they've been doing so for more than 50 years.
Another Variety event is coming soon to the Prince George region. On June 19-20 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, radio stations 94.3 The Goat, Country 97, and Valley Goat will present the Variety Prince George-Vanderhoof Radiothon. Sponsored by Canadian Tire, "this 15th Annual fundraiser will celebrate the remarkable achievements of local kids with special needs and the people in the community who support them," said a statement from Variety.
