Two girls in Beaverlodge are hoping to raise at least $1,000 to help a teen with cancer. Lifeguard Emery Willey and her lifeguard partner, along with the help of the Beaverlodge Rec Centre will be hosting a drive-in movie event in honour of 15-year-old high school student Ava Watson.
“We were going to do a drive-in movie at the pool anyway and then when we heard about this we thought it would be a really great idea to do it as a fundraiser for her and her family,” says Willey.
Over Easter break, Ava was diagnosed with stage four cancer that affects the muscles and connective tissue. It is expected that she will undergo treatment in Edmonton for at least the next year and a half.
At the event, there will be a food truck and Smokey and the Bandit will be projected on the north wall of Beaverlodge Regional High School. Thirty tickets have already been sold so far with all the money, except for what’s made from the food truck, going directly back to the family to help with expenses.
Being from a small town, Willey says it was important for her and the other lifeguards to do this in order to support one of their own.
“We’re very local, we’re in the public eye all the time; we have multiple kids coming in all the time and it’s hard when someone doesn’t come in anymore so I think we really wanted to do this because it’s the right thing to do. As a town, we’ve really come together on this issue and we’ve worked really hard together to raise money.”
The event runs from 10:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. on July 20th. Parking at the baseball/soccer fields at the high school opens at 9:30 p.m. or people are able to come down with their lawn chairs. Early bird tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Beaverlodge pool. Tickets will be $7 at the door.
