On March 23rd HLF Young Ambassador Lily Buerck hosted her independent service project at the municipal building in her home town Avon By The Sea, NJ. Her Fish Fry Fundraiser raised a total of $3900 which she has chosen to donate directly to HLF.
Lily’s idea for the Fish Fry came to her when she thought about her community and what their interests are. Knowing that Avon is predominantly a Christian community with the majority observing Lent, she believed a Fish Fry would appeal to the townspeople. She organized with entertainment from Matt Cook & The Herd, raffle prizes, a silent auction and a fish fry dinner cooked by the Avon Fire Department Chef Matt Mahon. Tickets were also sold at the door, $10 for adult and $5 for children. Lily marketed her event by distributing flyers directly to homes in town, announcements at her Church and school and she also had a couple of different local newspapers write about the event, both before and after. In one of the local papers she was quoted, “I think it is nor fair for some kids. I’m just so fortunate with my life. Some kids really deserve things that I have and I take for granted. I just want to really understand their lives and get a different perspective”.
The event exceeded Lily’s expectations by far with number of people that attended, the money she raised and how the whole community came together to support her efforts. Lily said ”I completely blew my expectations out of the water and I am so thankful for everyone who attended and gave me so much support.” Furthermore, she secured a successful event by asking for volunteer help from locals for entertainment, food preparation, friends and families for set up and clean up, Avon pond, RE/MAX and The Buttered Biscuit for sponsorship help.
School: Avon Elementary School
Grade: 8th
Who Inspires Me: My Grandparents
