Longest Morning Ever surpasses goal

Emotional, tired and numb Dan and Jamie sign off on another successful ‘Longest Morning Ever'.

An emotional sign off Thursday morning just after 10 a.m. marked the end of another successful ‘Longest Morning Ever’ event to help Rotary Kids.

Dan and Jamie, our colleagues from EZ Rock kicked off the annual 53-hour on air marathon early Tuesday morning to raise funds to assist local children with disabilities. The team’s goal this year was to raise $53,000, a thousand dollars for every hour on the air, but at the conclusion of the event Thursday the dynamic duo had surpassed the target and finished with an astonishing $85,000.

The very tired and numb couple said that once again the community stepped up the plate without fail.

“Absolute generosity and compassion because this community … it’s incredible … almost when you ask people to donate and to help our children there’s no hesitation,” said a teary Jamie.

“Everybody just thinks about their own children, and thinks about how they would be in the situation and if it had changed … and have no issue about forking over hundreds of dollars at a time is incredible. It’s mind blowing.”

Dan agreed the generosity is overwhelming but said it’s not hard to understand because it’s one big family in this city.

“I’ve said it so many times that North Bay is such a unique community,” he states.

“I have never seen a community give like this community does. You look at the population of this city and you look at the total we brought in … it’s mind blowing.”

Rotary member and event chair Jeff Rogerson says the success of the event ensures that the club can continue to meet its mandate.

“It means that the Rotary Club can do what the Rotary Club has always intended to do, it means that Rotary Club can help children.”

“And the bottom line, the more money we raise the more children and the more project we undertake to help children,” he says.

Rogerson says although this is the fifth year for this particular event, the Rotary Club has a history of raising money in the North Bay area helping the kids of the area since 1923.

“It’s very community orientated, it’s a pool of funds that stays here it’s not part of a national pool you’re dealing with local people in your community helping out local people in our community.”

After the 53-hour marathon Dan and Jamie only have time for a quick nap as they are back at work bright and early Friday morning, but not to worry they say have plenty of time to rest and recuperate over the coming weekend.