The team at Flares in Tanner Row has raised over £400 for a local lad who has a rare disease through at series of bush tucker trials, inspired by I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
Jordan McKnight, the younger brother of a member of staff at Flares, suffers from Juvenile Huntington’s Disease which affects both children and teenagers.
The fundraising event was organised by Sam Storr, Deputy Manager of Flares who wanted to raise money for Jordan as well as informing people of the disease. All of the money raised on the night will go towards redecorating and refurnishing Jordan’s bedroom to make it more comfortable for him.
Sourcing items such as fish eyes, crickets, giant ants and other creepy crawlies, Sam tried to make the Bush Tucker trials as gruesome as possible in order to raise money. Customers and members of staff from Flares were encouraged to go up on stage to take part in a Bush Tucker trial ––the more grisly the trial, the deeper everyone delved into their pockets!
Local shop, Leaping Lizards in Acomb Road, also helped with the event by providing all manner of smooth and scaly reptiles for customers to have their picture taken with on the night. Customers who chose to get up close with the cold blooded creatures were invited to make a donation in return to the fundraising pot.
Samantha Storr, Deputy Manager of Flares explains: “We were really pleased with our fundraising efforts for the Jordan and would like to thank everyone who donated – we’re really grateful. We wanted to step up our efforts, so we came up with the idea of a Bush Tucker trial which created a memorable night with lots of great feedback from our customers. Who knows? We might just do it again!”