Jayse Van Rooyen says her fundraising for the British Columbia Ambassador Program has been going really well, and this week, she is hoping to add to that in a big way with a beer and burger fundraiser.
The 20-year-old is representing Ladysmith as a candidate in the B.C. Ambassador Program, and she will be hosting a fundraising beer and burger night this Thursday (July 5) at Cottonwood Golf Course. The fundraiser starts at 5:45 p.m., and dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20, and they are available now at In the Beantime Café and at the door.
Coming on the heels of a successful Tunes and Tiara fundraising concert that raised $1,700 last month, the all-ages beer and burger night will feature a silent auction, raffle draws, door prizes and a 50/50 draw.
“I chose to do that because I have so many friends and family who are younger, and the concert was 19-plus, so it’s good to do this one, which is all ages,” said Van Rooyen.
All the silent auction items have been donated by local artists and local business owners, and Van Rooyen’s mother is putting together great gift baskets.
All the money raised during the beer and burger night will go toward the B.C. Ambassador Program for scholarships, keeping the program running and helping with expenses and travel.
To raise money for the program, Van Rooyen recently set up an account at the Junction Bottle Depot. Anyone wishing to help Van Rooyen with her fundraising can drop off donations for the Jayse BC Ambassador Candidate account.
Van Rooyen is collecting donations throughout town, and she has put donation cans in the 49th Café, In the Beantime Café, the Printingdun Beanery, the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce office, the Old Town Bakery, Black Door Decor and Pharmasave.
“That’s really nice because their support is so wonderful,” said Van Rooyen. “Everyone’s been so nice. So many people are so interested in helping me, which is so great.”
Van Rooyen says her fundraising efforts have gone great so far.
She has also been thrilled with the response to her People’s Choice voting. People can vote once a day at www.bcambassador.com under “People’s Choice Ambassador” until Aug. 17, and the candidate with the most votes will win a scholarship, explained Van Rooyen.
“The voting’s been going really well, and people are really excited about it,” she said.