Photo belongs to the Perry Chamber of Commerce

The Perry Chamber of Commerce is down to their final eight contestants in the Big Boom Bracket Battle.

According to Chamber Director Lynsi Pasutti, the first round of the event gathered a total amount of $2,366.83 that will go towards the annual 4th of July Fireworks Drive. She explains that the initial round featured 16 individuals, and after Tuesday, it was cut in half to just eight people remaining. Pasutti reveals that there were some upsets including the number one, two, and fifth seeds all falling. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio that it’s always fun to see who advances further into the bracket.

“It’s anyone’s guess as to who is going to make it on each week, which is really exciting, it can be ‘Oh, I bet this person because they’re really looking strong early on,’ and it just takes a single donation sometimes to throw someone over the edge as far as the neck-and-neck situations.”

To her points, Pasutti highlights that the second seeded Ashlee McIlhon, of Misfits and More, lost in the final minutes before the deadline closed on Tuesday. The eight individuals remaining include Grason Hill, Quin Mahler-Moreno, Michael Peterson, Eddie Diaz, Misty Conrad, Sarah Reimers, Paige Scheib, and Jackson VanKirk. Pasutti encourages people to make donations online or in person at the McCreary Community Building, 1800 Pattee Street, in Perry. The deadline to submit donations is this Tuesday until noon. To donate, click here.