I am a fundraising machine!

So my fundraising campaign began yesterday. Unfortunately it got off to a slow start on account of the pouring rain. The scooter is just not that fun to ride in the rain. Today was a bit better and I managed to distribute letters far and wide. I also have started with organizing a coffee-house fundraiser. The tentative date is the 20th of June. I'm hoping to hold it in the Ross Street Plaza if they let me use it for free.
So far, my running tally is:

-$20
-around 60 handmade postcards
-2 nights in Bill and Laurie's guest house
-Lorraine Ellens' organizing skills
- around 50 requests for money or things to go in a silent auction

I also went in to get vaccinated today. Wow, now I will not get typhoid, yellow fever or hepatitis A. I still don't know where in Bolivia I'm going to be so I may have to take malaria tablets while I'm there too! Well at least the vaccinations aren't as bad as the diseases.
I am now heading off to Vancouver for a couple of days. If anyone wants to help out with the coffeehouse give me a shout. I don't mean just performers, we are going to need set up, take down, dessert bakers, money collectors, sound technicians, poster creators, poster putter-uppers, and a whole host of other wonderful people. I also expect I will need someone to follow me around and tell me it will all work out OK :P Anyways, take care all

Anna

The Adventure Begins

I found my self in the Ganges Community Library last Friday, staring at an e-mail from Canada World Youth informing that I will be starting the Canadian phase of my Canada World Youth project on the 17th of July. I was pretty stunned and after wandering around Ganges with a shocked look on my face and after I was told repeatedly by my encouraging friend Graeme "You have to go! I'm so jealous, you have to go!" I decided that I had to go.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the program, check out the website at www.cwy-jcm.org. There is a tonne of information there but I can give you the quick run-down of the program as it pertains to me.
My group will be made up of around 10 Canadians and 10 Bolivians between the ages of 17 and 24. The participants come from all over Canada and Bolivia and we will meet up somewhere in Alberta for our orientation camp. We will be paired up (Canadian with Bolivian) and assigned a host family in our host community (Cochrane, Alberta.) We will then have interviews with various work placements. We will live in Cochrane for 3 1/2 months before we leave to do the same thing in Bolivia. There are other components but I won't get into that.

So now I commence fundraising! Part of the requirements for the program is for each participant to raise $2100 for Canada World Youth through their community. I have various fundraising ideas swimming around in my head and will keep you all informed of those. If you would like to make a donation or have any ideas for fundraisers, please e-mail or phone me. Also if you have been to or have any stories about Bolivia or Canada World Youth please let me know, I would love to hear them!

Love and hugs,
Anna