SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - For Lorna Brinston, Grade 10 student at St. Patrick's High School, 32 hours of keeping her hand on a PT cruiser paid off.

Lorna Brinston stands in the Weledeh Catholic School parking lot on Tuesday keeping a hand on the 2005 PT Cruiser which she won from the Hands for Hope contest over the weekend at the Yellowknife Trade Show. - Adrian Lysenko/NNSL photo

The 16-year-old was the winner of the Hands for Hope contest at the Yellowknife Trade Show this past weekend and got to walk away with the 2005 PT Cruiser donated by Yellowknife Chrysler.

The dealership would not disclose the estimated price of the car.

The contest organized by the Yellowknife Rotary Club had 10 preselected High School students compete against each other to see who could keep their hand on the car the longest.

"I was the most annoying one, that was my strategy," said Brinston.

"I sang for four hours at the top of the lungs."

Through her singing she managed to get one of the participants to take their hand off the car and continued signing until her competitors voted for her to stop.

Every four hours the students were allowed a 15 minute break to eat and use the bathroom.

Brinston admits that she was unprepared showing up two hours early to the competition and not bringing any pillows, blankets or food.

"I called my grandma to bring in stuff."

The 10 students were selected for the contest by writing to the Yellowknife Rotary Club.

The students were also asked to fundraise for the Rotary Club and for every $250 the student managed to raise they would receive a ticket. The tickets would serve as a raffle if more than one student lasted past a 32 hour mark.

Brinston managed to raise $3,500 the most money of all students.

"Everyday I was pledging," said Brinston.

"Half the money was raised at school and my Grandma helped out pledging $300."

Four students managed to make it to 32 hours resulting in a raffle which she won.

Brinston who recently turned 16 took Monday off from school to get her drivers licence.

"It's a standard and at first I stalled it every time," said Brinston

"But today we went for lunch to Quiznos and I didn't stall once."