The Blenheim Youth Centre (BYC) is certainly feeling the love from the community after its 24-hour Survivor Challenge Fundraiser brought in $56,000 in donations.
The challenge took place Friday and Saturday and saw 20 competitors in teams of two completing 'Survivor' like challenges over 24 hours.
Dave Bonnell and his daughter Devynn Deacon competed in the challenge, ultimately winning the title of sole survivor.
"We ended up finishing up all the games and got voted to be the winners," said Dave. "So that was pretty special."
But it is so much more than bragging rights for the Bonnell family. The competition and BYC hold a special place in their hearts. The Bonnell's youngest daughter Jaimie, was an avid supporter of the centre before her death in December.
"It meant the world to both Devynn and I. The winning is especially more meaningful because this is what Jaimie loved to do. Once she saw me doing the Survivor challenge she was wanting to do it herself, wanting to be my partner and finally last year she was able to do it with me," said Dave.
In 2023, Jaimie and Dave won the Survivor Challenge Fundraiser.
"She was going to keep on going with it because this is what she loved to do. It helps the community, it helps the youth, it gives youth a sense of stability and a safe place to go and everything," said Dave. "She had seen what the centre does for the kids. The centre will help the kids with anything from helping with their homework, teaching them how to cook, and teaching them to be independent. The crime rate dropped tremendously when the youth centre came so Jaimie was always all about keeping the doors open so the kids did have a safe place to go to."
Dave started this year's challenge with one of Jaimie's friends, Cassidy, but a sudden illness had Jaimie's older sister Devynn step in to finish the competition. In honour of Jaimie's memory, the team chose the name 'Jaimie's Angels' and raised $25,000.
"I had an online auction, I had a charity BBQ at Sobey's, I did my own BBQ... I did a trivia night, did 50/50, I pounded the pavement asking people for donations that was how I was able to come up with the $25,000," explained Dave.
Providing nearly half of the total funds raised took a lot of hard work, but Dave said it was worth it since goals of previous years have usually been around $40,000.
"They were really ecstatic... Survivor is the main competition to raise money for the youth centre to keep the doors open. They hoped for $40,000, and this year we slammed it out of the park," said Dave.
Dave has competed in nine of the Survivor Challenge Fundraisers, ultimately being voted winner in three but is now stepping down from his back-to-back wins to take a position on the BYC committee that will help plan and organize the fundraiser next year.
"I am getting too old for this and the competitors are getting younger and younger and it's hard to compete with those young bucks," laughed Dave.
Since the three-time winner will be on the other side of things now and doing the organizing, what advice does he give the next round of competitors?
"Go in with an open heart, an open mind and the number one thing while doing this is just have fun," said Dave.
As for what he thinks Jaimie would feel knowing her dad was voted winner for a second time, Dave said, "I would love to think she is proud and I would love to think she was happy I could win it with Dev in Jaimie's honour."
