Barrie is getting ready to misbehave for a good cause.
The fourth annual MisBehaving Barrie happens this Friday, March 23 at the Ferndale Banquet Hall and will see a wide variety of activities to keep everyone in attendance celebrating the night while also raising money for COPE Service Dogs. In the last three years, Shakir Barmare and his popular event has raised $9,002.93 for COPE with each year collecting more than the last. Vendors, giveaways and a silent auction will be a part of the main attraction that sees many local businessmen and local dignitaries “auctioned off” to the female audience.
“When I started this in 2015, I wanted to get more awareness out about health and fitness, nutrition and meal planning,” said Barmare. “We would have about a 50/50 ratio of fitness instructors and local business men on stage being bid on by the ladies in the audience. The ladies weren’t bidding on dates of course, but rather the services that the particular business owner’s company provided. If they won the bidding on a health instructor, he would provide maybe nutrition guides and fitness plans to the winner. The business owner may be a restaurant manager and would provide meals and drinks for two or something along those lines; it is all in fun and everyone has a blast.”
The first year was a success but Barmare realized that by second year he had more business owners looking to network and get their name out there, so the 35 year old photographer changed the format a bit and made it more of a networking night but still with the bidding and party atmosphere.
“Local businesses are another passion of mine,” said Barmare. “I love to see entrepreneurs succeed and have a good time too; most of them work so hard they need to get out sometimes and this does just that. There are so many local prizes given away and at the end of the night there are folks talking who may never have met had they not taken the chance to come out for them and a good cause.”
The good cause benefiting from MisBehaving is COPE (Canine Opportunity, People Empowerment), which provides service dogs to those who need it such as those with physical disabilities and youth who are experiencing challenges. Barmare was connected to COPE by a friend a few years back and was really touched at what the organization does; he is happy that clearly many people feel the same why as it provides many fun prizes from big names in the city.
“One year John Brassard offered a tour of Parliament and a lunch for the day as well,” said Barmare. “This year Mayor Jeff Lehman is going to be auctioning off a highlights of Barrie tour, Queen’s manager Ty Jones is here again and offering a great deal too. We have about 12 guys and more to likely come as it is and this year we will have our first fashion show too, so it will be an exciting, passionate and wildly fun night with cocktails, appetizers and a real party-feel.”
MisBehaving Barrie is Friday, March 23 at 7 p.m. at the Ferndale Banquet Hall with tickets being $40.
Check out their Facebook events page for more details.
