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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, May 4, 2012 · 10 Appleby hears Grade 7 and 8s' Perfect Pitch By Brice Roy SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER David Suchanek, a business teacher at Appleby College has always believed in the brains of youths and this year he's hoping to find a junior Thomas Edison. One day while showing the hit television show The Dragons' Den to his Grade 12 business classes as part of their curriculum, he had an idea. Why not give local kids a shot at showcasing their own ideas? "I've always said when we watch shows like this we're talking about adults. Now we're talking about kids," said Suchanek. He proposed the idea to his class and they ran with the idea. "I left the class to brainstorm for 30 minutes and they came up with The Perfect Pitch," said Suchanek. Modelled after the show, the event is an interschool competition where groups of Grade 7 and 8 students will design and pitch a product to a panel of six student judges. The new event has already drawn interest from five schools across Halton, including schools in Oakville and Burlington. The hope is to garner the attention of even more. "We'll end up capping it at some point, probably around 12 schools, but we'll see what the response is to it," said Suchanek. The teacher said this won't be the last event "After all, we are the generation that still has 12:00 flashing on their DVD (players) and VCRs." David Suchanek, business teacher, Appleby College and, depending on its success, he believes it could reach a much wider demographic. "We want to make this an annual event," said Suchanek. "This is just sort of the Beta test so it's just Halton this year but I really believe that it could go provincial." The event will be primarily organized and run by Suchanek's students right down to the set decorations, which they have designed. "We're going to have a stage like the show and everything. We're going to play this to the hilt," said Suchanek. Several students will also travel to each school to help their younger counterparts prepare their pitches before they take their place before the judges at Appleby College on the morning of June 2. Students are not limited in the criteria for the event, meaning inventions can range from basic improvements to the extraordinary. "It's come one, come all, just like Dragons' Den. Some of them are going to be absolutely crazy and some will be down right simple and make a lot of sense," said Suchanek. "It'll be interesting to see what sort of technology is being used. Whether they go for a simple prototype or some of them may end up developing an App." Participants need not be afraid of reprisal from the judges similar to the TV show. "There will be no Kevin O'Leary's," said Suchanek, referring to the strict and sometimes confrontational Dragon. "There will be a lot of Arlene Dickinson's and Jim Treliving's." T h e event will run from 9 a.m. until noon, and feature lunch and prizes for those who attend. The students are also trying to find a way for the schools to benefit. "We're hoping that participating schools benefit -- maybe the top three will receive a $200 cheque for new basketball rims or something," said Suchanek. Regardless of the outcome, the goal is give students a chance to showcase their creativity and bright young minds and maybe open up a few older ones. "I just think there is a wealth of incredible ability, innovation and knowledge among our youth. Some adults are probably asking, `What do they know?' but I think they know a heck of a lot more than we do sometimes," said Suchanek. "After all, we are the generation that still has 12:00 flashing on their DVD (players) and VCRs." Rotary of Halton and DeGroote open the Pythons' Pit By Kathy Yanchus METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Applications open September 1 for a new forum for Halton entrepreneurs, which officially kicked off Wednesday (May 2). Called Pythons' Pit, the competition is a partnership between the Rotary Clubs of Halton and McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business. An investment pool of more than $150,000 will be up for grabs and competitors will be able to access a variety of business services and mentorship. Pythons' Pit is divided into two streams, an open division and a high school division. Open competitors will receive investment capital from the Pythons in return for an equity stake; high school students will receive cash prizes and be eligible for scholarships. The competition will also be a fundraiser with proceeds going to support Camp Enterprise, bursaries at McMaster University and other Rotary initiatives. Aspiring entrepreneurs have until Dec. 1 to submit their applications and finalists will be put to the test in front of the Pythons on March 23, 2013. DeGroote School of Business MBA students will be responsible for evaluating the applications. "A goal of the MBA program is to give students opportunities to apply their knowledge of business in real situations," said Milena Head, director of the MBA program. "Pythons' Pit allows the students to learn first-hand about entrepreneurship, business valuation, venture capital and numerous other topics. By partnering with the Rotary clubs, our students can be active contributors to the economic health of the Halton Region." Sponsors include RBC Royal Bank, RBC Wealth Management and Burlington's Interkom Smart Marketing. For more information about Pythons' Pit, visit www.PythonsPit.ca. TUESDAY MAY 8 AT 5:30 PM. PREVIEW FROM 4:30 PM. At The King's Court Banquet Hall (1159 King Rd., Burlington) Outstanding estate auction from several local estates Including that of Dr. Nazar, with items from his home and the contents of his Chiropractic clinic Royal Doulton figurine collection ESTATE AUCTION Good selection of antique and contemporary furnishings - Victorian etc.- Bedroom furnishings ­ Dining room furnishings ­ Occasional furnishings, Victorian Roll Top Bookcase Bureau, ¼ sawn Oak Bowfront China cabinet ­ round oak table etc., Oak sideboard, Mahogany Tea cart, kitchen set, Bistro set, original artwork, assorted silver plate, collection of Inuit soapstone carvings, Decoys, collectibles ­ several dinner services (Aynsley, Royal Doulton, Royal Albert), art pottery, art glass, assorted china, selection of original artwork, selection of framed prints, selection of costume jewelry, Victorian wall clock, Garden tools etc., flat screen TV, From Dr Nazar's clinic : Chiropractic treatment table, assorted displays, desk, reception/workstation, bar fridge, assorted office supplies, waiting room chairs, wall mount flat screen TV., water cooler, x-ray viewer, printers Estate Automobile ­ 2002 Mercury Grand Marquis 4.6L leather interior 169,000km. ­ nice clean car This will be a full, clean offering Updated photos will be posted April 9, 2012. Cash, Visa, MC., Debit, 10% Buyer's Premium All Items Sell "AS IS" and must be removed same day. Note ­ King Rd. is under construction, access from Plains Rd. is blocked. Access King Rd. from the north end via the North Service Rd. (between Waterdown Rd. and Brant St.) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Wholesale Book Distributor Holy Trinity Catholic School 2420 Sixth Line, Oakville www.oakvillebooks.com · Best Selling Paperbacks · Children's · Cookbooks · Travel · Humour · Puzzlebooks · Young Readers · Health & Fitness · Crafts For more information visit Information@www.shaferauction.com SHAFER AUCTION CO. LTD. 905-634-6300 Saturday, May 5 · 8 am - 4 pm Sunday, May 6 · 10 am - 4 pm · Wildlife · Outdoors · Sports · Mellissa & Doug Toys