FUNDRAISER HELPS BREAK CYCLE OF POVERTY
FOR SURREY STUDENTS
Surrey, B.C.– Bernard Richard, BC Representative for Children and Youth, is the headliner at an upcoming special fundraising event put on by Bright Beginnings Foundation (BBF) and the Surrey Teachers’ Association. “Working Together for a Bright Future” will help raise scholarship funds to help lift impoverished Surrey students out of poverty. The fundraiser will be held Thursday, February 15, 6 – 9 p.m., at the Grand Taj Banquet Hall in Surrey.
‘We are thrilled to have Bernard Richard join us for our first major fundraising event,” said Tammy Neuman, BBF founder and chair. “Richard is a strong advocate for free post-secondary tuition for children and youth in care. We see this as an important first step in helping break the cycle of the generational poverty that we see here in Surrey and other communities in B.C.”
“In today’s world, it is imperative that post-secondary education be accessible and available to all young people, regardless of their financial circumstances,” said Richard. “I am pleased that access to post-secondary education for former youth in care in B.C. was expanded last fall, but there are still too many youth for whom lack of finances continues to be a barrier. We all have to work towards changing that.”
Organizers are pleased to announce Fay Blaney will also be speaking. Blaney, a Xwemalhkwu woman of the Coast Salish Nation, grew up in poverty. She actively pursued her post-secondary education in History and did extensive research on Aboriginal Homemakers. Today she is an outspoken advocate for Indigenous Women.
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Bright Beginnings Foundation (BBF) was launched in March 2015 to support high-school graduates in Surrey who are living in poverty, and who possess the academic ability but lack the financial means to pursue a post-secondary education. The foundation provides funding for tuition, transportation, educational materials and some living expenses while students attend the post-secondary institution and program of their choice. The objective is to give marginalized students the same opportunity that their non-marginalized counterparts have. Having a post-secondary education means that they are able to obtain a degree or certification which will allow them to acquire a career that pays a living wage and benefits. This opportunity not only helps the students that benefit, but also potentially their families and our community at large.
To date, BBF has provided small grants to students to continue their education while facing difficult financial challenges. Three years later, BBF is thrilled to announce that we will be awarding our first full scholarship to a promising Surrey student this school year.
The “Working Together for a Bright Future” event will feature top-notch student entertainment, door prizes, raffles, silent auction and a delicious Indian dinner. Tickets for the fundraiser are $50 per person, available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/working-together-for-a-bright-future-tickets-41190603203. For a table of 10 for $450 please call Karen at 604-970-5318.
For more information about Bright Beginnings Foundation or the fundraiser please contact Tammy Neuman.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Tammy Neuman
BBF Founder and Chair
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Home: 604-454-9767
Mobile: 604-240-7355 (text only)
E-mail: tnrneuman@gmail.com
