Ralph Lethbridge is not your typical 71 year old Entrepreneur, Husband, Dad and Grandfather.
He's what we call in Newfoundland & Labrador - a "Character". He is Boonie.
Boonie Lethbridge is one of those characters that you will find throughout small town Canada. Boonie (as he is affectionately known) has been the go-to person to buy real, local Christmas trees in the Clarenville area since 1984. EVERYONE knows him and kids in particular love him because he bears a striking resemblance to Santa!! That's not the only resemblance - his heart is as big as Santa's too! His trade-mark white beard is the reason, and very few people remember seeing him without it.
Over the past few years several prominent citizens of Clarenville have died from ALS, including Corwin Mills, Dolores Balsom & Pat Cole . This fall after the death of Mr. Mill's, Dolores' husband Alex and Boonie were chatting. Boonie suggested he'd like to help the cause and together they contacted Pat's husband Cal who is now the face of ALS awareness and fundraising in Clarenville. Boonie pitched the idea of shaving off his beard as a fund raiser for ALS. The goal - to raise $5000
So on January 24, in front of over 1300 at the Clarenville Caribous hockey game, Boonie 'showed his face' by shaving his beard. What was exceptional was the buzz - the spirit and the buy-in into this nobel cause.
As of this writing over $60,000 has been raised.....
As of this writing over $60,000 has been raised.....
Video of the event
This story captured the attention of the media....
Media Story
|
Link
|
Toronto Star-3 hours ago
When he decided
to shave his beard after 40 years without picking up a razor, Clarenville “legend”
Ralph “Boonie” Lethbridge only wanted to ...
|
|
A
MUST listen....Awesome story by an awesome storyteller....
"Now she's going up, I say $60,000," Boonie tells
@cbcasithappens "Over a damn bit of hair!"
|
|
1,305 Views
Well it's the day after the big $51,000 shave
and Boonie's beard is well on its way to growing back. This morning I had the
opportunity to talk to and share video with CTV Morning Live's Cyril Lunney
about the big shave! Watch it here...
|
|
CBC.ca - Jan 25, 2016
Ralph "Boonie"
Lethbridge doesn't like his face without his 40-year-old beard, but said he'd
shave it all off again in a heartbeat if it would help raise money. The
now-infamous Clarenville man shaved his legendary beard in
front of a cheering crowd ...
|
|
The Telegram-Jan 24, 2016
The Clarenville Ford
Caribous inched ahead of the Gander Flyers ... regular season and will also
see local legend Boonie Lethbridge shave his
|
|
CBC.ca - Jan 24, 2016
Ralph "Boonie"
Lethbridge is a staple of the Clarenville area, best known
for selling Christmas trees. He's been growing his facial hair since he was
around 16, but decided this year to hack it off after his close friend, Larry
Boyd, was diagnosed with ...
|
|
VOCM - Jan 25, 2016
A Clarenville man
has raised more than $50,000 for ALS research by doing something he hasn't
done for more than 40 years. Ralph Lethbridge, who is know by most as Boonie,
said he would shave his beard at a senior hockey game if people
donated ...
|
|
ICI.Radio-Canada.ca-Jan 25, 2016
Un homme de Clarenville,
à Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador qui arborait fièrement sa barbe ... Ralph « Boonie »
Lethbridge vend des sapins de Noël.
|
|
Western Star - Jan 24, 2016
Boonie was joined at centre ice of the EEC by his wife,
Jenny, and their two granddaughters for the barbershop session. What had
begun as a fundraising goal of $5,000 had gained momentum on social media and
around Clarenville during January.
|
|
Friday morning in my biweekly chat
with CTV Morning Live's Cyril Lunney, I introduced Cyril and the audience to
Clarenville's Boonie (Ralph) Lethbridge, his trademark beard and his quest to
raise research funds and raise interest in ALS. Here's our conversation...
|
|
CBC.ca-Jan 8, 2016
He's been growing
a beard for 39 years, but now Ralph "Boonie" ... A very Boonie Christmas:
Getting a tree from Clarenville seller a local ...
|
|
The Telegram-Jan 7, 2016
|
|
Clarenville Packet-Jan 6, 2016
Boonie Lethbridge is well known in the Clarenville area
and on Jan. 24, he will shave his trademark beard off for ALS.
|
|
CBC.ca-Dec 25, 2015
If you live in
the Clarenville area and you celebrate Christmas, chances
are you've picked up a tree from Ralph "Boonie" Lethbridge.
|
|
Here's a sample of the generosity and support of our business community and organizations in the Town who contributed to this cause
|
 |
  |
|
Clarenville Area Co-op donation of over $8200 to the Boonie Project for ALS.
|
 |
                               |
|
Comments
Post a Comment