Cash Mob Chilliwack is shifting gears for its third event.
The local business cheerleaders are setting their sights on completely selling out the Nov. 24 Chilliwack Chiefs home game at Prospera Centre.
Typical Cash Mob rules, where local shoppers descend on a retail location that has previously been kept secret, are being suspended for this event.
The focus is shifting to all out support for local hockey entertainment, said Scott McVetty, founder of Cash Mob Chilliwack.
"We're going bigger and better," he said.
They had more than 70 people show up at their first event, and more than 90 at the second. Now they're looking to fill the arena with 5000+ hockey fans.
"We are going to show the country, and maybe even (NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman too, that nobody supports hockey and local entertainment the way Chilliwack does," he said. "Our goal is to set the all-time single game attendance record for the Chilliwack Chiefs and support the great players that have never locked us out."
So why did they choose the Chiefs?
"We're here to support local businesses, and they are a local business," he said. "And they have been doing very well."
The goal of the cash mob phenomena has never been about "rescuing" a failing business, McVetty underlined.
In fact, the Chiefs enjoyed the highest attendance numbers among Junior A hockey clubs across Canada for the 2011-12 season.
"The perception is that because we have such a big arena, even at 45 per cent capacity, it still feels quite empty."
So supporting the Nov. 24 event is two-pronged. One the one hand, individuals are encouraged to buy tickets and enjoy the game, and on the other, businesses can purchase entire rows of seats to use themselves or give away. Business owners who buy a $150 row of seats, will be entered into a draw for a catered night watching the game from a corporate box.
"This could theoretically involve dozens of businesses," McVetty said. "Either way it's pretty good family entertainment value for the dollar, and we've secured good prices."
There are two ways to get tickets. Go to chilliwackchiefs.net and purchase tickets for Nov. 24 using the CASHMOB code to get $2 off the ticket price, or call the Chiefs' headquarters at 604-392-4433 and place an order.
More details at www.facebook.com/CashMobChilliwack.
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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