Ballenas Secondary's Grad 2012 class is on the prowl for your bottles.
The dry grad committee is starting to ramp up their fundraising efforts with a post-holiday bottle drive Saturday, Jan. 7.
Students and volunteers will be driving around Parksville collecting empties. They will be knocking on doors, but you can leave your clean empties in a bag or box, clearly marked "dry grad," in front of the house.
Refundable cans and bottles can also be Ballenas Dry Grad account year round at the bottle depot.
Watch for numerous fundraising events in the coming months including a pub night, spring baskets, garage sale, golf tournament, meat draws, chocolate sales, raffle and ongoing efforts like the Quality Foods points program.
Right now organizers are looking for help with the big pub night, including needing volunteers and silent auction items, which they suggest could be anything from hotel stays and other services and gift certificates, to homemade goods.
Organizers point out the committee has raised as much as $35,000 in previous years, and while they may not need the full 150 volunteers to run grad this year, which will be held on a boat, they still need as much or more fundraising as ever.
Watch for the students tomorrow around Parksville from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact the grad committee chairs with questions, comments or to offer help. The chairs are Christine Bryant (christinekbryant@gmail.com) and Joan Holland (joholland@shaw.ca) or check www.bssgrad.ca.