Tillsonburg Corps, Ont., hosted a successful fundraiser toward this year’s territorial Partners in Mission campaign. As a result of the initiative and support from the congregation, the corps exceeded its initial fundraising goal of $2,000, raising a total of $3,504 after expenses.

The event, held in June, was a Jamaican-themed dinner with authentic dishes provided by Cool Convenience, a local store run by Jamaican owners. The dinner menu featured a choice of jerk chicken or pork, accompanied by rice and kidney beans, sauce and coleslaw. A vegetarian option was also available. The congregation responded excitedly, with more than 80 individuals taking part in the ticketed event. Some members of the corps participated in the fundraiser by baking a hummingbird cake, a traditional banana and pineapple spice cake from Jamaica, for dessert.

Lieutenant Drew Young, corps officer, expressed the congregation’s excitement and pride in surpassing the goal, despite the smaller size of the corps. “I gave tickets to the congregation to sell, and one woman in our congregation sold 60 tickets by herself. I call her ‘the ticket master’ now,” he says.

“We charged $20 a ticket, but some people said that we probably could have charged even more because the food was so good,” continues Lieutenant Young, who is considering a spaghetti dinner for the next fundraising event. “It’s exciting to hear that people are wanting to come back next year, and to contribute more to Partners in Mission.”

The Partners in Mission fundraiser also included contributions from the Salvation Army thrift store in Tillsonburg, where customers are invited to donate at the cash register. The thrift store raised $1,483—more than half of the initial fundraising goal.

Inspired by the success of this year's event, Tillsonburg Corps has set a higher goal of $2,500 for next year’s fundraiser.