Last year they were Number 1.
Now they're tops in the country once again and it's becoming a habit for Prince George Special Olympics.
A month-long weekend bake sale and barbecue in cooperation with the Prince George JYSK clothing store raised $6,100 for Special Olympics Canada, once again the highest fundraising total of any JYSK store in Canada involved in the Champions Start at Home campaign, Aug. 30-Sept. 30. The amount collected was $1,200 more than last year's nation-leading total.
"They worked so hard on it, a couple of the athletes went over and beyond," said Wilma VanHage, public relations co-ordinator for Prince George Special Olympics. "It's wonderful for the athletes and they really enjoy doing it. They feel they have to be No. 1, it's getting competitive.
The athletes and volunteers were on hand at the store to take donations from store customers at the tills and sold baked goods made by the athletes and JYSK store employees. Money raised will be turned over to Special Olympics Canada and some of it will be used to help fund travel of Prince George athletes to competitions like the B.C. Special Olympics Winter Games in February Kamloops and the Special Olympics World Games next summer in Los Angeles. JYSK has been involved in the project for 10 years.
"The manager at JYSK's here [Sheelagh Fields] gives them space and the staff are really good at helping out," said VanHage. "It's a huge thing for Sheelagh as well for that store to be No. 1."
