“It was really awesome to see the enthusiasm of everybody and the community getting involved.” 

That’s how Dale Abbott-Smith, the executive director of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Yukon, described The Big Squeeze, their annual fundraiser, held Wednesday. 

“We had a total of 20 participants, which makes it the biggest one ever; we had a lot of first-time competitors with a first-time competitor that won the top fundraiser as well as the best tasting and presentation,” Abbott-Smith said in an interview Thursday. 

The top three fundraisers were Normandy Living, with $1,104; Teegatha’Oh Zheh, raising $937.20; and Yukon Montessori, taking in $558.90. The combined total came to $6,696.20.

The top three in the best tasting and presentation were Royal Lemonade, first; ATCO Electric Yukon, second; and Teegatha’Oh Zheh, third.

Some honourable mentions: “Yukon Literacy’s Mermaid Lemonade was a big hit, and as far as I know, they’re the only stand that actually sold out of their lemonade, which is pretty amazing,” said Abbott-Smith.

“And then Meg’s Barbershop family had a really amazing cookie spread, and their set-up was pretty cool.”

The Softball Yukon group heard about the event too late to enter. They were given the left-over lemons, and made some lemonade to be sold at the beer gardens at the Pepsi Centre.

Major sponsor Save-On-Foods donated all the lemons for the event while Dave’s Trophy Express made the trophies.

A long-term plan for the group is to reopen the Dawson City and Watson Lake branches.