Crime Stoppers of Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District kicked off their annual Great Algoma Lock Up fundraiser at Station Mall Thursday.
For two days (Thursday and Friday), in exchange for a donation, individuals can have friends, a family member or co-worker ‘arrested’ by police, put on ‘trial’ on humorous charges before a ‘judge’ and locked up at Station Mall’s Centre Court in a ‘cell.’
All arrested individuals must pay a ‘fine’ to Crime Stoppers (which consists of funds already raised and put up in advance), then spend one hour in the cell and place calls to friends in a fun attempt to raise even more funds for the organization.
All funds raised through the Great Algoma Lock Up support the work performed by Crime Stoppers of Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District, assisting police in recovering stolen property, getting drugs and weapons off the streets and arresting, prosecuting and convicting criminals.
Funds also go to paying one administrative assistant.
“The lock up idea started here in Sault Ste. Marie and other groups have called and asked if they can use the lock up concept (for fundraising) and we say ‘why not’?” said Tom Burmaster, Sault Crime Stoppers president.
“Fund raising is essential for organizations and it’s getting tougher and tougher, so any avenue a group can use to bring in funds to help them stay viable, that’s what counts,” Burmaster said.
Among those locked up Thursday morning were James Grisdale, over a disagreement with his wife regarding household snacks (raising $500 through pledges), Great Lakes Forestry and Research Centre’s Chuck Roswell for allowing security breaches at his workplace (misplaced pine cones!), and Paul and Sandra Rylatt over stolen wedding favours.
Those locked up are often arrested at their workplace by surprise, but “it’s all good-natured,” Burmaster said.
The lock up was scheduled to run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday.
This year’s Great Algoma Lock Up is the third annual lock up after reviving the annual event in 2014.
The first Great Algoma Lock Up was held in 1990 and ran until 2003, when Crime Stoppers officials took a hiatus from the event.
Last year’s lock up raised approximately $15,000, with event organizers hopeful of surpassing that amount this year.
This year, Crime Stoppers has launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of the Great Algoma Lock Up, through Facebook and Twitter.
The Great Algoma Lock Up, since 1990, has ‘arrested’ over 800 people and raised more than $240,000 for Crime Stoppers.