The 11th Annual Meaford Dragons event concluded with over $16,150 in cash and donated prizes being awarded at Meaford Hall on Wednesday night.
The big winners were Kim and Matt Simpson's Free Spirit Forest and Nature School, which won $6,500 in prizes from the Meaford Dragons themselves and sponsors of the Dragons event, including Bayshore Broadcasting. The school also won the Rotary Club of Meaford's Audience Choice award, worth $500. The Simpsons' school offers outdoor educational and experiential programs by certified educators for children ages 4-12. Originating in Collingwood, they have recently opened a program in Meaford at Memorial Park.
Another big winner on the evening was Pampered Paw Spa and owner Rebekah Chapman, who took home $3,300 in cash and prizes from the Dragons and sponsors. Chapman's pet grooming service has been a hit in Meaford and is looking to expand with the support received from the event.
Other contestants included; Silk Family Homestead, a sustainable, small-scale homestead farm producing organic fruits and vegetables for local markets and restaurants; PostingsK9, a positive-reinforcement dog training company; and Back Forty Gaming, a high-end camping operation offering the comforts of home surrounded by the wonders of the natural world on a property in rural Meaford.
The annual event was once again presented by the Meaford Chamber of Commerce and featured five local “Dragon” investors: Steve Bosman of MSW Plastics, Nancy Sharma of BrokerLink Insurance, Daryl Johnson of Amici Restaurant and Pizzeria, Darryl Handle of Quench Buggy and Marie-Catherine Marsot of Frauxmagerie, the latter two of whom were also contestants in previous Dragons events in Meaford.