Flopped Willy Wonka Experience’s Backdrop Raises Sweet Cash For Palestine Aid
By Mikelle Leow, 20 Mar 2024
Image via Monorail Music / eBay
The disastrous Willy Wonka-themed event in Glasgow has become a golden ticket for good, with its subpar props flipped into charitable donations for Palestine.
Willy’s Chocolate Experience promised a whimsical adventure inspired by Roald Dahl’s classic. Alas, parents who forked over £35 (US$44) a ticket were greeted with a barebones warehouse, poorly prepared activities, and a far cry from the advertised (albeit AI-generated) fun.
It turns out this bitter event may have a sweet, sugary ending, after all. Some of the discarded props were discovered in a dumpster. Enter Monorail Music, a Glasgow record store with a knack for spotting a silver lining. It rescued the items, including plastic backdrops and a striped fabric sheet from the event’s ‘Time Tunnel’, and auctioned them off on eBay.
This is real
— monorail music (@Monorail_Music) March 7, 2024
Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience "House Of Illuminati" orig backdrops, for sale, from us.
Auctioning 2 original backdrops and the Time Tunnel on Ebay. Rescued from the bin by a pal of the shop
All profits to Medical Aid For Palestinianshttps://t.co/HO76Fw7sIh pic.twitter.com/kKksZOot9B
The unlikely sale attracted 57 bids, raising £2,250 (approximately US$2,856) for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a charity providing medical services for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. This act of generosity was applauded by MAP’s CEO, Melanie Ward, who expressed gratitude for the contribution.
Thank you so much @Monorail_Music for auctioning the infamous Willy Wonka Glasgow props in aid of @MedicalAidPal. We’re really grateful for your support.
— Melanie Ward (@melanie_ward) March 15, 2024
Hope the winner of these golden ticket items is pleased with their purchase!https://t.co/IgmWWYg4Cw
This initiative isn’t the only instance of turning the failed event into a force for good. The iconic “Event Cancelled by House of Illuminati” sign was previously auctioned for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
[via Hyperallergic and Clyde Bank Post, images via Monorail Music / eBay]