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A daring idea for a fundraiser

Media personality David Skinner of <I>The Royal Gazette</I> prepares to eat a spider.

If you have ever dreamed of seeing your favourite local celebrity eat a cockroach, rap or get a pie in the face, now is your chance.Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Bermuda hopes to raise $20,000 through the How Much Would You Pay To See Me ... event at Harbour Nights on August 29.Politicians, singers, media personalities and sportsmen will be asked to do wacky things to help the charity, which mentors more than 200 children on the Island.“So far we have about 15 people participating,” said Patrina O'Connor-Paynter, BBBS communications director and Power 95 radio DJ 'Powergirl'.“As Powergirl, I have been involved in many different people's fundraisers, and so I also wanted to do something for BBBS. So far, Carla Zuill, who is well known in the community for her social media work, has pledged to eat whatever is under cup A or cup B at the event.”“I will do anything as long as it doesn't involve frogs, lizards or mayonnaise,” said Ms Zuill.“Government ministers Patrice Minors and Zane DeSilva are both involved,” said Mrs O'Connor-Paynter. “They both agreed immediately. Minister Minors was one of our Big Sisters at one time, and was also our executive director and served on our board before, so she actually has history with us. Minister DeSilva is just wacky and fun to me.”Mr DeSilva pledged to do “whatever” to help. One Bermuda Alliance Warwick West candidate Jeff Sousa has said he's willing to take on any dare and The Royal Gazette head photographer David Skinner has agreed to eat an insect in the name of charity.The idea is to have a family show, Mrs O'Connor-Paynter stated. There will not be anything vulgar involved.“We are hoping that each person who takes on a dare will raise at least $1,100,” said Mrs O'Connor-Paynter. “The economic climate right now is really bad and there are a lot of charities that are facing maybe closing down. In times like this when the economic climate is bad we really need charities like this, but it is hard to sustain them. We have to come up with creative ways to raise money.”To sponsor a daredevil go to www.bdatix.bm and scroll down to the 'donations' section and click on the 'How Much Would You Pay To See me…?' link.Harbour Nights is held every Wednesday during the summer months, on Front Street between Queen and Parliament Streets between 7pm and 10pm and is organised by the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce.To donate go to https://onlinemembership.com/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=26 .