Dressed in an orange jumpsuit and playing tunes from a laptop inside his makeshift cell at Uptown in Saanich, Trevor Botkin is making the best of a rather uncomfortable situation.
The general manager for HeroWork Victoria expects to be locked up all weekend under a tent on the mall’s pedestrian plaza, as part of the organization’s third annual Jail, Bail or Bribe spring challenge fundraiser.
On day 1 Friday, Botkin was still in good spirits as he looked ahead to the weekend.
“It’s been fun so far, but it’s going to drag on, I know, at some point so we’re really counting on seeing that donation value, that total, go up and keep me motivated here,” he said.
Not wanting the effort to feel too “white collar,” Botkin said, he has committed to staying in the cell and sleeping on the cot overnight through to Sunday’s wrapup, unless perhaps the fundraising goal of $50,000 is surpassed.
The organization is encouraging the public to donate to bail him out – or keep him in – to help the cause, which ultimately is funding the purchase of materials for the “radical renovations” HeroWork does for non-profits, such as the upcoming upgrade on Victoria Cool Aid Society’s downtown activity centre.
Getting help on project material pricing from suppliers like Slegg Lumber – the main sponsor of the fundraiser – and others really helps donated funds go further, Botkin said.
Slegg, in fact, is matching up to $20,000 for donations to the bail fund for the fundraiser, while the Hambley Family Foundation is matching up to $10,000 for the bribe fund, to keep Botkin behind bars all weekend.
Already, a number of firms in the construction and home renovation industry have donated to the cause, some of which issuing challenges to others to match or donate.
To help the cause or learn more about HeroWork’s efforts, visit jailbailbribe.com.
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