Miss Teen North Vancouver Island, Jade Steel, updated Parksville City Council recently and said she was looking for support, councillor Al Greir said he’d talk to his Panters hockey friends.
This week the club donated $500 to her costly efforts to get to the national Miss Teen Canada World competition in Toronto in July as well as her fundraising for Free the Children (www.freethechildren.com).
“We felt it was a good cause,” said Panters’ president Bob Ormond of the decision at the recent AGM to support her efforts.
He said as a former teacher he is also particularly aware of her chosen pageant cause, tacking bullying.
“It’s a real hidden problem and children can be devastated by it,” he said. “It’s important for people like Jade to bring the issue to the forefront.”
Steel said the fundraising has been a bit slow so far, but she’s optimistic it will pick up with the summer weather.
In her presentation to city council she said she hopes to “inspire everyone to believe in themselves,” and she’s like to be a “voice for all the teens, especially young girls who have suffered bullying in some form.”
Ormond indicated they’re hoping to arrange for Steel to drop the puck to open the Panters’ World Classic hockey tournament in September.
Check www.missteencanadaworld.com for more on the contest or her Facebook page at jaderyansteelformissteencanadaworld2011 or e-mail her at jaderyansteel@gmail.com to donate.