Spire wins $10K in national Next Great Save contest

The group are putting their winnings into upgrading their heating system.

There are 10,000 reasons that the Spire is smiling.

The Kingston venue won $10,000 after finishing in the Top-3 in voting in the Next Great Save contest. The prize money will be put towards upgrades to the building's heating system.

General Manager Sam Macleod says he got a phone call about the results just hours after the contest closed on Friday.

He says it is great to see the community rally around the Spire.

The Spire was one of 12 entrants across Canada vying for $65,000 in cash prizes towards protecting their heritage sites. They came in second behind Ancienne Église Sainte-Marie in Church Point, Nova Scotia who won the $50,000 grand prize. Backhouse Grist Mill in Port Rowan, Ontario finished third and received $5,000.

St. John's United Church in Brockville was also in the running.

Macleod says the experience the organization had while participating in the Next Great Save was quite different compared to a typical fundraising campaign.

Macleod says he is thankful to everyone who took the time and voted for the Spire.

He says it was amazing to see the number of quality of entries in the contest.

Macleod says work will get underway on the heating system in the Spire, which is located inside the 174-year-old Sydenham Street United Church.

He says the $10,000 prize will cover a portion of what will be a long-term project.

The Next Great Save is a national project operated by National Turst for Canada that successfully protects, adapts, renews or improves a heritage place in a way that extends its useful life, and more.

Story by Ken Hashizume