OLDS — A&W restaurants in Bowden and Olds raised $3,053.71 this year during their annual one-day Burgers to beat MS campaign.
That’s down from 2019 when just over $5,000 was raised at the Olds location alone. The Bowden location wasn’t opened until this past January.
Dean Bracken who owns and operates both locations, says the numbers, while down from last year, are pretty remarkable, given the fact that protocols followed due to the COVID-19 pandemic limited what could be done.
Via the Burgers to beat MS campaign, held Aug. 20 this year, $2 from every teen burger sold went toward supporting people living with MS (multiple sclerosis), a long-lasting, degenerative disease that affects patients differently.
It can affect a patient’s brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves, causing problems with vision, balance, muscle control, and other body functions.
Between the Olds and Bowden locations, 723 teens burgers were sold. When donations and raffles were factored in as well, the total came to $3053.71.
A show and shine was held in the parking lot as well, courtesy of the Mountain View Pistons.
“We really kept things low key and did not promote events as we were concerned with too many people gathering at the store due to COVID-19,” Bracken wrote in a text.
“A huge part of the fundraising in previous years was having people at the store taking part in the events throughout the day.
Bracken noted that nationally, A&W raised more than $1.2 million via the campaign.
He described that result as “pretty remarkable, given the situation.”
