Ticket stubs help commemorate the times we saw our favourite singers and bands in concert, but now there is one to mark the time we spent physically distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Budweiser Gardens has created souvenir '#TogetherAtHome' tickets in an effort to raise funds for the St. Joseph's Health Crisis Fund. The tickets read "stay-at-home and facetime your friends" and have the ticket holder seated in the "couch" section.
The downtown London venue got the idea for the fundraising souvenir ticket from its sister building Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
"Once we heard about it we thought it would be a great fit for London. We thought Londoners would enjoy it, find it amusing, and a way to help the community," said Brian Ohl, general manager of Budweiser Gardens.
Ohl noted the ticket gives people something tangible to have to remember what the province, country, and world has gone through during the global outbreak, while at the same time providing support to health-care workers. Budweiser Gardens is asking for a minimum of a $10 donation for each ticket.
"The response has been great. In just a couple of days we have raised well over $1,000," said Ohl. "We are quite pleased. It is a light-hearted way to have people help the community."
The St. Joseph's Health Crisis Fund was created to help fund research and novel treatments for COVID-19 through St. Joseph’s Health Care London's research arm Lawson Health Research Institute. Money raised has also gone toward new medical equipment and comfort items for frontline health-care workers.
Budweiser Gardens will continue to print the souvenir tickets for as long as the pandemic lockdown lasts. To make a donation and receive the souvenir ticket click here.