RCMP top cop challenges city councillor; radio personality
By Kyra Hoggan
Castlegar RCMP detachment commander Laurel Mathew has thrown down the gauntlet … and her challenge has been received and accepted.
Mathew said city councillor and food bank manager Deb McIntosh had best be prepared to lose her crown as the city’s reigning pie-eating-contest winner, as this Saturday’s fundraising carnival for the Community Harvest Food Bank will see a new contender in the ring.
“It’s to raise money for the food bank? And it’s lemon meringue? Sure, I’ll whip her, easy,” said Mathew, also throwing out a challenge to scoff-laws Drex and Johnson from Mountain FM radio. “They seem to have big mouths – they should be competing, too.”
Shaun Johnson has replied to the challenge, suggesting the ladies in question can bring it on – he can take the heat.
“They want a piece of the Johnson, do they?” he said. “Okay. I’ll show them how to eat pie. I’ll be there.”
Of course, such competition requires stakes – and Trowelex has generously offered to give the winner $50 to donate to the food bank, while issuing a challenge for other local businesses to do likewise.
McIntosh, who successfully defended her pie-eating crown earlier this summer at M&M’s barbecue fundraiser for Crohns and Colitis, said she welcomes any challengers – largely so she can kick their collective butt in a very public way.
The contest will run roughly between 7 and 7:30 p.m., right in the middle of what is shaping up to be a fun-filled community event.
The old-fashioned carnival starts at 4 p.m., and organizer Lori Orser promises something for everyone.
“There’ll be a spaghetti feed for just $5 each,” she said. “We have games and events for the kids, and a goody bag for every kid who comes, and there are some fabulous prizes.”
She said there are four prize categories that will allow attendees chances to win goods and services donated by local businesses.
“Everyone who brings a donation to the food bank will be entered for one prize, then there’s one for the most food donated, another for the heaviest food donation, and a fourth for the largest monetary donation,” she said. “It should be a blast.”
There’ll also be live entertainment, and for those not feeling sick after too much pie, there’s an ice-cream social slated for dessert, not to mention dancing to work off all that fabulous food.
The event will be held this Saturday, at the Station Museum grounds downtown (behind City Hall), from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
For more information call 250-365-6440, or businesses wanting to up the ante in the pie-eating competition, call 250-608-1047 or 250-365-5972.
This is all after last Saturday’s well-received food drive at Safeway, which raised $2,300 ($1,000 of which came from local business A Boulder Institiute), and more than $2,000 in food.
Mountain FM’s Drex was there and said people were wonderfully generous, but added now is no time to get complacent.
“For all the fun and games, people need to understand the gravity of the situation – if Saturday isn’t a success, there’s two or three months left for the food bank,” Drex said.
“We’re still not out of the woods… the food bank gives 300 local families a hamper each month, which translates to $5,000 a month in operating costs.
“We need your help this Saturday, or the food bank is done.”
For more information or to donate, call 250-365-6440 or 250-608-1047.
Comments