Business to aid local youth water effort in Cambodia

By Allison Wall

A group of local youth is embarking on a mission trip, and a local business is stepping up in a big way.

Twelve youth and four adults from the First Baptist Church will be heading to Cambodia from March 1 to 15.

"(We) have partnered up with Samaritan's Purse and we are going to work alongside some local people in manufacturing and installing bio-fan filters," said Darren Bute, youth pastor at First Baptist Church. "We'll also do some eye clinics while we are there and bringing some prescription glasses over to people."

While the youth have raised money for the past several months, they are still shy of their goal, but Bute said Quizno's is stepping up on Saturday to help out with the fundraising.

"Quizno's is actually giving us their store for a day this coming Saturday," said Bute. "We're super excited by that. We thought that was an amazing deal. It's great seeing people pitch in and help out. Our goal, or Quizno's, is hopefully $10,000. We are probably about $20,000 shy right now so we are trying to raise that money. (We're) going around and trying to do everything we can to drum up some donations."

Quizno's located at Suite 102-7701 44 Street will donate food and operational costs on Saturday, Feb. 12.

"Basically it's because there are three teenagers that have been working here almost since I opened and … they are all going on the trip to Cambodia so they were asking if we would donate bottles," said manager Thane Burgoyne. "I thought I could do something a little more and so I just organized it through Darren Bute, the youth pastor from the church there. They are all coming in. They are volunteering their time and Quizno's is foregoing their royalties for that day, and then I'm donating the food and they are turning it into money for their trip."

The youth will also have a donation booth set up at Quizno's on Saturday.