Skip to content

A neknomination to be proud of

A dangerous drinking game was changed for the better when 20-year-old Jake Downie decided he wouldn't continue the neknomination trend. Downie, a graduate of Chatelech Secondary School, was given a neknomination on Facebook by a friend on Feb. 12.

A dangerous drinking game was changed for the better when 20-year-old Jake Downie decided he wouldn't continue the neknomination trend.

Downie, a graduate of Chatelech Secondary School, was given a neknomination on Facebook by a friend on Feb. 12. A neknomination is a call to drink a large amount of alcohol as fast as possible and post a video about it on Facebook, nominating others to take your stunt one step farther.

People have died from participating in the "game" that is believed to have originated in Australia and has swept across Canada and the U.S.

When nominated last Wednesday, Downie thought about the tragic stories of loss due to neknominations and decided to change the game.

"I figured, why not use social media trending for a good cause and kind of turn it around," Downie said.

Instead of drinking alcohol, Downie went to the Sunshine Coast Food Bank website to see what they most needed, bought those items and delivered them the same day.

"Part of the neknomination is that you're supposed to do it within 24 hours," Downie said.

His boss from Eagle West Restoration, Jess Malone, filmed his delivery, and Downie posted the video, nominating Tarah Pike, Deven Graham and Jay Levene to continue the new neknomination trend.

He said he wanted to nominate those particular friends because they had been vocally against the neknomination drinking game online.

"They haven't done anything yet, but they're all working, so they might do something later. But even if nothing happens, the idea's out there," Downie said.

Downie's display is going viral, with more than 175 shares of his video when Coast Reporter went to press this week.

He's surprised at the response, but said he's pleased because he wanted to "shake things up a little bit."