Ottawa-based Davidson’s Jewellers raised more than $3000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) with its first annual Diamond Dash.
More than 500 people raced across Canada’s capital in May on a high-tech scavenger hunt. Participants received riddles and challenges via their cell phones and one clever couple walked away with a $15,000 diamond engagement ring by Simon G.
Davidson’s Jewellers owner Judy Richards says an article in a U.S. trade publication about a similar event sparked the idea.
“I thought what a fabulous idea, but I can’t imagine the time and planning that went into it,” she said. A chance encounter at a cocktail party during JCK Las Vegas with Scavenger, the organizers of the dash, renewed her interest.
“They do the whole thing for you,” she said, adding there is a $15,000 fee for the service, including the programming for the text messages that send out clues.
While the cost for the event was above and beyond the money raised for charity, Richards says the dash served a dual purpose by going after the bridal market.
“We find in our business you have to keep recreating that wheel to drive the new and younger people in, but we also wanted to tie the dash to charity,” she adds. Participants made a suggested donation of at least $25 per team to the JDRF.
Picking the JDRF as the recipient of the funds was an obvious choice, notes Richards. One staff member became diabetic as a child, while another has a daughter who contracted the condition three years ago. In addition, the Canadian Jewellers Association (CJA) matches donations made by its members to the JDRF to a maximum of $10,000 as part of the National Jewellers Charity Program, doubling the contribution.
“CJA would like to thank Davidson’s Jewellers for its innovative and exciting approach to fundraising,” said CJA president and chief executive officer (CEO) Ken Mulhall. “We look forward to the 2011 Diamond Dash. It’s sure to be another tremendous success.”
