Local youth seeking funds for volunteer trip
Two Airdrie residents will be vacationing a little differently this spring.
Jessica Murray and Taylor Penney, both 18-year-old servers at Airdrie’s Brewsters Brewing Company and Restaurant, won’t be donning a bikini and sipping on pina coladas when they travel to Chiang Saen, a small community in northern Thailand on April 29.
Instead, the duo will be helping build or maintain a portion of a children’s complex, playing with Thai children ages three to 19, teaching English and visiting a drop-in centre on the Myanmar border to meet the families whose lives have been changed by Murray and Penney’s chosen charity, Live Different. The organization is partnering with Buddies Along the Roadside, a grassroots foundation that reaches out to children and families that are caught in the web of sexual slavery and exploitation.
The friends became involved with the organization last fall after reading a pamphlet brought home by Murray’s younger brother, who attends Muriel Clayton Middle School.
“I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world and help kids that are most in need,” said Murray, who added she decided now was the perfect opportunity.
Penney agreed, saying after graduating from Bert Church High School last spring, she was ready to make a difference.
“I just wanted the satisfaction of knowing I’ve made a difference for someone else,” she said.
The duo is looking for funds to pay for toys and supplies for whatever project the charity group assigns them.
They are purchasing their tickets and paying for accommodations with their own earnings.
“We aren’t taking any of the money,” said Penney, who added she first thought of getting involved with a charity when she was in Grade 9 and a member of Students For Change at Bert Church High School.
Both Murray and Penney are expected to raise $2,600 for their two-week trip by Feb. 25. The duo have been busy doing bottle drives, talking to local business owners and planning fundraising events.
Penney encourages Airdrie and area residents to get involved.
“It’s a good way for people to help others,” she said.
For more information about Live Different, visit www.livedifferent.com
To donate to Murray and Penney, contact the duo at j_mur@telus.net
A tax deductible receipt is available for anyone donating a minimum of $25
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