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TRW steps up for local charity challenge

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It wasn't quite cold enough for local lakes and ponds to freeze over. But it was getting there.

Friday afternoon's chilly 'high' of only 6 C added to the challenge facing TRW Tillsonburg plant manager Jeff Carrey when a bucket of ice water was dumped on him outside their Bell Mill Sideroad plant, raising funds for a local charity.

"I'm not that cold – I think it helped that it was cold outside," said Carrey, bundled in a blanket afterward.

"It's just the initial shock," he smiled, testifying to the fact that the icy water used for Friday's Ice Bucket Challenge was indeed very cold. "Oh yes, that was ice water."

"We want to know if you're going to be mad if it shows up on Facebook?" asked one of a dozen employees armed with cell phones taking pictures and videos.

"I'm not even on Facebook, so I won't even know," Carrey laughed.

TRW Unifor Women's Committee organizes a monthly 50-50 draw for the 400 local TRW Automotive employees. Half the money goes to the draw winner, half goes to a local charity. This month's charity was Toys For Kids, which will go to The Salvation Army for Christmas hampers.

"This month, in an attempt to raise awareness and raise the donations, Elaine Kamenar and her team issued a challenge," said Carrey. "If they achieved $900 in money brought in, a member of the management team and a member of the union bargaining committee would be selected. They would have a choice to do the ice bucket challenge, do a pie in the face, wear a funny costume, or donate an additional $50."

Having reached their target, the draw took place Thursday, Oct. 30 and a member of the bargaining committee, working on the midnight shift, chose to wear a funny costume Friday morning.

"They selected my name – just at random I'm sure – and I chose the Ice Bucket Challenge. One of my area managers, Stewart Hoy, agreed to donate an additional $100 if I wore this outfit while I did it. I told him I would do it if they (the employees) raised another $500, and they ended up raising an additional $575."

His frilly red-and-black dress?

"Supposed to be 'sexy pirate'... but I'm not so sexy."

All jokes aside, Carrey said TRW wants to build on Friday's challenge which raised just over $1,000.

"We want to extend this out to other manufacturing facilities in Tillsonburg to do something similar to raise money for local charities.

"It's important for us to be part of the community, to be a good corporate citizen, give back to the community. It's a testament to the kind of people who work here, that just within a matter of hours they could gather up that much money for a good cause."

TRW Automotive is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Tillsonburg. Watch for more on the anniversary later this month.

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