A Nova Scotia man is stepping out of his comfort zone and completing dares this Christmas to honour a loved one and raise money for a scholarship fund in his name.
Eric Anstey says it started last year when a co-worker gave him a Secret Santa gift that involved completing dares to get presents.
The Lower Sackville man decided he would do something similar this year in memory of his cousin, 16-year-old Rylee Sears, who died of meningococcal meningitis nearly two years ago.
“Rylee was an outstanding young man. He was one of those guys who cared about everyone … he was a Sackville High student and 2017 would have been his graduating year from high school,” says Anstey.
Sears’ family has started a scholarship in his name at Sackville High School. Anstey decided he would complete dares people suggested if they donated to the scholarship fund.
“I decided in discussions with my wife that I would try something called the 12 Dares of Christmas this year,” explains Anstey.
In the 12 days leading up to Christmas, Anstey has been completing dares, some of which included shaving off his beard, dressing as an elf and going caroling at Costco, taking a two-minute ice bath, and drinking four litres of milk in one sitting.
“The whole experience has been overwhelming, I guess would be an understatement,” says Anstey. “The generosity of people and people’s willingness to support a fantastic cause has been amazing. It sounds kind of cheesy, but it restores your faith in humanity to watch how many people want to get behind something that’s good.”
Anstey posts videos of his dares on his Facebook page. So far, his most-watched and shared dare is one in which he dressed up as Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and re-enacted a well-known scene from the Christmas classic.
Anstey, decked out in a white bathrobe, boots and fur hat and holding a makeshift hose, headed to the main street of his hometown, where he raised his “beer” – which, he assured CTV News, was just a pop can – to oncoming vehicles.
“I had people coming up to me on the street saying cool things, people beeping as they went by. At one point a security guard came up and I thought I was going to get kicked off the sidewalk, but he just wanted to take a selfie and get a picture of what I was doing and shake my hand, so yeah, that was a pretty fun one.”
Anstey donned an elf costume and attended his first Latin dance fitness class Monday evening. He also has to eat the spiciest pepper he can find, sing a song with Santa and Mrs. Clause, and shave off both of his eyebrows by Dec. 23.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl
Here is one of the most popular Facebook videos Anstey posted this month. Caution: Viewers may find some of the language offensive.
