On an island off the coast of an island, a local grocer’s big error turned into a successful national charity event.
Dan Dafydd wanted 80 chocolate Easter eggs for the shelves at Sinclair General Stores on Sanday, one of the Orkney Islands, but accidentally ordered 80 cases of Easter eggs, totaling 720 confectionaries for a total island population of 500.
Wondering what he was going to do with the excess, his heart overtook his mind, and decided to raffle off groups of 100, with proceeds going to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, (RNLI) the largest of the lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the British Isles which rescue dozens of people and vessels every year.
It proved to be a huge hit on Sanday, with £3,000 being raised to win batches of 100 eggs. It was so popular that in the ultimate irony, Dafydd had to order more chocolate eggs.
“We actually took a delivery of eggs yesterday because we ran out. We needed to buy more in the end. People have wanted them signed and all sorts,” said Mr. Dafydd to the Guardian.
“Once word spread a bit and I was invited to talk on local radio, I thought ‘it’s not bad enough to be a laughing stock on this island, but to be one all over Orkney.”
From the shores of Albion, it carried across world media, with the grocer soon receiving stacks of letters from people as far afield as Singapore writing to say how inspirational he was.
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Many of the chocolate eggs were manufactured by Nestlé, who contacted Mr. Dafydd with the proposal that they would match any donations received for the RNLI up to £10,000 with the aim of raising £20,000 by Easter Sunday.
“It’s incredible to see how a simple mistake can turn into an opportunity to make a positive impact,” said Beth Lucas, the marketing director for confectionery at Nestlé UK & Ireland in a statement. “Together, we aim to raise up to £20,000 for the RNLI and contribute to the invaluable work they do.”
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Dafydd said that even without the help of Britain and Nestlé the immediate community on the Orkneys had purchased so many raffle tickets that they won 300 of the eggs, showing how close-knit and big-hearted his local community is.
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