2020 has been a strange year for everyone. While many of our normal events had been canceled or postponed, the DuBois Jaycees still came together to make the best of a crazy year. Part of being a Jaycee is adapting and creating positive change in our community no matter the difficulty that stands in your way. There were many firsts for the Chapter, but regardless of the curveballs that came our their way, the Jaycees were able to safely hold and run the following events in our area:
The Annual Easter Egg hunt was done as a 'drive-by' Easter Egg Hunt for local families. These families were not only greeted by Jaycees but also the Easter Bunny who helped brighten the spirits of the children during this first part of quarantine. Winners were randomly drawn for bikes and gift baskets through an online form that the Jaycees shared throughout their different online avenues.
The DuBois Jaycees did their first-ever "Gift Card Tree' fundraiser which helped raise over $1,000 for our local Chapter. The winner received $200 in gift cards to local businesses to help support them since the pandemic made running a small business extra tough this year. This fundraiser was a win-win for those that bought tickets, the local businesses who had gift cards on the tree, and the Jaycees who were able to support the community while raising funds for our Chapter.
For our next (and first in-person fundraiser of 2020) the Jaycees held their 11th Annual Scramble for Scholarship at Beechwoods Golf Course on Saturday, August 1st. We are excited to announce that we had one of the best golf outings to date. We were able to raise a little over $3,800 for our scholarship initiative. This means we can easily provide two $1,500 scholarships to the chosen High School Seniors this upcoming spring.
Finally, in the spirit of the lottery, which was unfortunately canceled due to restrictions and safety concerns of the pandemic, the Jaycees decided to host their first-ever "VIRTUAL CASH BASH." We will be doing our drawing on Tuesday, November 17th at 7PM on Facebook Live! Members are currently selling tickets and seeking sponsorships for the event.
As we get ready to close out 2020, we can definitely say that it was a year that made us appreciate the little things we may have taken for granted in the past. Let us welcome 2021 a little more wise, thankful, and excited to be together once again.