Prominent members of the community will be “incarcerated” for the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock jail-a-thon outside Coast Capital Savings on Sept. 15.
“It can be a really incredible fundraiser,” said Jane Beddows, co-ordinator for local Tour de Rock fundraising events. “What we do is people put forth names from the community, and they get arrested and thrown into a make-shift jail.”
The honorary prisoners will be transported to their chicken wire cells in the the form of “charitable arrests” by off duty, volunteer police officers.
The jail-a-thon will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Between that time frame, residents can drop by to help post bail, which will be a fundraising goal of between $100 to $500 per person.
“We encourage everybody to come out and bail out their favourite person,” Beddows said.
“Hopefully, they’ll have a list of friends and family and customers or patients that will be willing to pledge or offer money either beforehand or on the day of the jail-a-thon.”
Participants, who’ve committed the reprehensible crime of community involvement, will be issued warrants a week prior to the event to give advanced notice and reasons behind the arrests.
“Their names are coming forward because they’re great people, not because they’re bad guys or they made somebody angry, but basically because they’ve done a lot for the community and their names come up when you ask people,” Beddows said.
“So this is a positive thing if somebody puts your name forward.”
Although mum on exactly who will be jailed, Beddows said about 20 people have been shortlisted including local politicians, avid volunteers and business owners.
One definite prisoner will be the Sooke Harbourside Lion duck, commonly seen strutting about the community at Lions’ events.
I’m hoping that will cause a little bit of laughter,” Beddows said, adding the jail-a-thon is about creating a fun way to donate money to a good cause.
“It’s all about raising money for research so a cure can be found, so we can eliminate these childhood cancers because no child should have cancer,” Beddows said.
Proceeds from the jail-a-thon will go towards Sooke’s Tour de Rock rider, Const. Steven Martindale.
The riders will embark on a 14-day cycling journey spanning across Vancouver Island on Sept. 22.
Tour de Rock raises money for pediatric cancer research and programming for children with or who have had a history with cancer.
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