The Innisfail Lions are hoping to cash in on the soon to be defunct penny. The decision to cease distribution of the copper currency this fall was announced in the federal budget at the end of March with the reasoning that producing the penny exceeds its face value by about 0.6 cents.
“It was one of our member's idea since the penny will soon be a thing of the past,” said Lions club president Ken Graham of the fundraising initiative.
The club is looking for people to clean out their pockets and desk drawers and donate pennies to any Lions member.
The money will be donated to the recreation department at the Rosefield Centre, “to help brighten the days of our citizens who have contributed so much to our area and are no longer able to be out and about,” a Lions press release states.
Graham also said the group might be looking into placing containers in different businesses around town where people can drop off their change. They can also bring in their pennies at Primerica in the Eastgate Centre.
He said there is no end date for the collection; it will be ongoing.
