The Wakefield RISC OS Computer Club, organisers of the Wakefield Show, have for some years now run a prize draw at the show, with tickets available from the Club stand, and a selection of RISC OS-related prizes for the winner(s).
Prizes for the draw are usually provided to the group by exhibitors, and because 2020 was to be the 25th annual Wakefield Show, the first prize planned for this year was something out of the ordinary: Andy Marks of RISCOSbits had produced a specially designed version of the Deuce case.
As the images show, the case is coloured silver, and adorned with the Club’s logo on the top, and on the front is the banner that the organisers came up with for the 2020 show, highlighting it as the 25th one in the second zero of 2020, and of course mentioning the intended show date.
The installed back panel bears the RISCOSbits and Elesar Ltd logos, and is designed for the Raspberry Pi 3, but as shown in the photo there is an alternative included for the Pi 4, also bearing those logos.
So the Club has a specially designed version of the Deuce case, marking a show that didn’t happen and intended to be given away at that very show. In addition to a prize with no draw, because there was no show taking place there was also no money raised by the charity stand for the Wakefield Hospice, either. The stand usually raises a notable sum each year, and to date has resulted in over £20,000 being donated to the charity, which aims to provide care for people with advanced active, progressive, and life threatening illness.
And to cap it all off, the same situation that led to the cancellation of the show – the pandemic – has also adversely affected charities in general, with less opportunities for them to raise money, and this year happens to be the Hospice’s 30th anniversary, which should make it a year to be celebrated.
So in order to try to raise some money even without the Show, the Club is planning a charity auction – the case will be listed on eBay on Thursday, 3rd September (keep your eyes peeled for an announcement) with the funds from the winning bid to go to the Wakefield Hospice. The normal Deuce case retails at £30 from RISCOSbits, but the hope is that due to its unique nature it will attain a much higher price.
A nice touch – the Club says they’d like to think people will do this – would be if those who bid on the case but don’t win it would consider donating a similar amount to the Hospice anyway, in order to support the important work it does. You can help the Hospice through the Club’s Just Giving page – and even if you don’t bid, any donations will be gratefully received.
And just to whet your appetites a little more for the case itself, there are more photos of it on this page on the Club’s website, from which those above have been taken.
