After spending 120 hours atop the Border City, two local fundraisers finally descended on Feb. 6 — and they did so with $100,558.23 raised for Telemiracle 50.
Read more: Lloydminster duo take fundraiser to new heights for Telemiracle
Ean Bull and Louis Stang, members of the Lloydminster Kinsmen Club, lived on a scaffolding platform from 5 p.m. on Feb. 1 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 6 as part of a fundraiser dubbed Geek on the Peak. The goal was to rally community support ahead of the annual Telemiracle telethon, which begins at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in Saskatoon.
“It’s just been tremendous,” Bull said with a view of the city below and just hours before coming down. “I’m so grateful to be living in this community. The businesses, the residents, the kids — everyone’s coming together on this one. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of.”
Telemiracle, often called Saskatchewan’s charity, supports families across the province by raising funds for specialized medical and mobility equipment, travel assistance and other needs. The annual telethon dates back nearly five decades and continues to be one of the province’s largest charitable events.
Taylor Weaver – Meridian Source
The “Geek on the Peak” livestream captured attention throughout the week, drawing comments — especially from young viewers — as Bull and Stang documented their days and nights above the city. Stang said he was surprised by how invested people became in their efforts.
“We’ve been live for 117 hours at this point and I bet you there’s people who’ve watched more than 90 hours,” Stang said. “So many kids stopped by in the evening with their parents … (their parents told us) they turned it on the minute they got home from school every single day.”
“There were a lot of people that watched us sleep,” he added with a laugh.
After they came down, the pair enjoyed a hot shower and time with family before attending the Lloydminster Exhibition’s annual Telemiracle Steak Night on Saturday.
The $100,000 plus total from Geek on the Peak will be combined with other local fundraising and revealed onstage during the telethon’s broadcast.
Telemiracle 50 is scheduled to air from Feb. 28 to March 1.
Read more: Column: All eyes on geeky peaksters
