Local charity event turning Smashville into reality

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This article was published 27/04/2018 (2859 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Jets fans are going to get hammered on their way to watch Friday’s playoff game — but it is for a good cause.

The Carbone Coal Fired Pizza restaurant, located downtown at 260 St. Mary Ave., is parking a specially painted used car outside that customers can hit with a hammer after paying $5. The cash will go to KidSport, which helps children in low-income families to participate in organized sports.

Benjamin Nasberg, Carbone’s president, said they came up with the idea in response to media reports that fans of the Nashville Predators — the team the Jets are facing in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — are holding a charity event in which they hammer away at a plane that has been painted with the Winnipeg Jets colours and logo.

Nasberg said the car — a 2007 Dodge Caliber donated by Vickar Chevrolet — is being painted on Friday afternoon with the Predators colours and logo by a local graffiti artist.

He said the hammer will come down starting at 5 p.m., around when Jets fans begin streaming to the downtown arena to attend the first away game viewing party at Bell MTS Place.

“This is in response to Nashville — it’s only fair to return the favour,” Nasberg said.

“We think Winnipeg is filled with a lot of great, mild people, but we still need to stand up in a classy way to what Predator fans are doing… we feel it is a fun way to draw awareness and raise money for a great cause.”

Nasberg said they plan to continue allowing charitable fans to continue hammering the car in future games.

“But we’ll see what condition the car is in after (Friday).”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca