15th Night’s Back to School BBQ Serves Over 100 Youth!

The school year is in full swing, but we still want to take a moment to share about the success of this year’s Back to School BBQ. The 15th Night Youth Action Council helped more than 100 youth prepare for school this year, and provided them with an opportunity to reengage in school and connect with local resources.

The Back to School BBQ is the Youth Action Council’s biggest event of the year and we couldn’t do it without support from our incredible community. Our team left the event with hearts full of gratitude and joy.

“The Back to School BBQ surpassed all expectations, leaving me filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and satisfaction. Engaging with the youth in our community proved to be an immensely rewarding experience, reminding me of the profound impact we can have on their lives. Witnessing their enthusiasm and gratitude served as a powerful reminder that our collective efforts can instill hope and pave the way for a brighter future. The event itself stood as a testament to the remarkable power of community support, and I feel privileged to have played a role in its success.” – Allistair, YAC member since 2018

We have so many people to thank for helping to make this year’s BBQ such a huge success. A BIG shout out to the volunteers from PacificSource who not only prepared all the food to feed the youth and their families, but also served food at the event. Another huge thanks to our incredible partners at Soles 4 Souls, for donating over 500 pairs of brand new (and super cool!) shoes. Youth who came to the BBQ were able to “shop” for a new pair of shoes and find the perfect pair to start the school year. Also, thank you to City Salt Church for letting us borrow your kitchen to prep food, and donating funds to help us purchase school supplies. And a huge thank you to Southtowne Rotary, Eugene Metro Rotary, and 4J School District for donating school supplies, as well as all of the individual donors who purchased supplies off of our Amazon wishlist. It truly takes a village and we couldn’t have made this event happen without you!

We also want to take a moment to thank all of the awesome community partners who came to the event to share their resources with youth: Queer Eugene, Connected Lane County, 4J and Springfield McKinney-Ventos, Looking Glass, and Youth Era! And a big shout out to Willamalane Parks & Rec for hosting us! Thank you all so much for supporting this event, and for all that you do to serve the youth in our community.

Believe it or not we are already gearing up for next year’s event. If you want to get involved please reach out to info@15thnight.org.