We have all heard of someone running or swimming, or maybe even skating for charity, but a recent Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation donor decided to use her love of TV trivia as a unique way to determine how she donated.
The anonymous benefactor decided – in honour of Alex Trebek – she would donate a dollar for every question she was able to correctly answer while watching Jeopardy last year.
In an email to the foundation, she said she began the endeavour in February of 2020 by putting a check mark in her day-timer every time she was right.
The end result was an online donation of $801 to RMHF on Dec. 31.
“Having lost my brother to cancer last February, as COVID non-essential travel rules were put in place, I wasn’t able to be at his side to express our final words of love in our goodbyes,’ she said.
“Like so many others, we felt the deep sorrow of those passing, and the anxiety of restrictions which were soon followed by lockdowns. The evening game shows gave us a subtle purpose while escaping the boredom of being housebound for half an hour or an hour.”
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She pointed out, it is a little easier to get the answers right when playing at home.
“It requires no quick reflex to lock in a buzzer, no visual distractions that the contestants have to deal with such as stage lights, cameras, judges and score boards that the TV viewer doesn’t see,” she said.
“Plus you don’t lose any money if your answer is incorrect; you either get it right or you don’t.”
The anonymous donor would like to encourage others to follow her example whichever way they see fit.
“Whatever your desire; game show participation, outdoor exercise, or even tracking how many cups of coffee or tea you drink in a year, there’s definitely a way to create a donation around it,” she said.
RMHF’s executive director, Laura Butler, said the donation caught them by surprise.
“It was a really unique gift,” she noted.
“We hadn’t received one like this specifically.”
There are many ways one can contribute during COVID times, she went on to say.
“For us, we would like to encourage folks to donate in lieu of birthday presents, or in lieu of gifts at a celebration, or a special anniversary,” she said.
“Especially this year, the idea of doing that is probably easier, as we’re not able to get together.
“And the beauty is you get a tax receipt for it too.”
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