Temporarily “imprisoned” business leaders have helped raise more than £46,000 to support people battling cancer around the North-east – over four times more than the charity had hoped.
The first-ever Jail or Bail fundraiser for leading cancer charity Maggie’s Aberdeen brought together 11 volunteers from the Aberdeen business community, who were dressed in orange jumpsuits and “arrested” by police.
The group was placed in confinement with only a phone and a laptop from which they could each work on raising at least £1,000 to secure their freedom.
During the one-day event, the confined crew managed to collectively raise enough to achieve their bail target and then some – reaching a total of £46,032 in donations and Gift Aid.
Maggie’s Aberdeen Head of Fundraising Richard Stewart said: “We were delighted when 11 local businesspeople agreed to be locked up for Maggie’s to help us raise funds. Thanks to their hard work from ‘behind bars’ and the incredible generosity of people they know, our first Jail or Bail event was a huge success – and a lot of laughs too.
“A special thank you must go to each of our wonderful fundraising jailbirds who got into the spirit of the occasion. Together they created an entertaining experience for everyone to watch - from being dressed in orange jumpsuits and standing before the Sheriff, to posing for mug shots and even taking part in some exercise time in the yard during their time ‘behind bars’.
“They are the reason we quadrupled our donation goal for this event. From the moment they got to their ‘cell’, they were focused on fundraising and their efforts made this a day to remember for all involved.
“We are also incredibly grateful to everyone who answered their call for help and donated to help them raise bail.”
The Jail or Bail event was live streamed via Maggie’s Aberdeen’s page on Facebook and drew more than 1,400 views.
Recently celebrating its 10th year serving the area, Maggie’s Aberdeen provides one-to-one support for those who have been impacted by cancer. The local branch of the UK wide service has received more than 80,000 visits since opening in 2013.
For more information on Maggie’s Aberdeen, and for details on how you can help support the charity, visit http://www.maggies.org/our-centres/maggies-aberdeen/