CHOCOWINITY — A local Christian organization, having recently been implemented at a local high school, is gearing up for its first fundraiser, which will send students to camp this summer.

Southside High School recently kicked off its official implementation of Young Life, a Christian club that mentors students, bringing them closer to Jesus Christ, said Scott Stafford, a staff associate with Young Life on the Pamlico. Today, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Southside Young Life club will host its first fundraiser — a pancake and sausage supper — at the Chocowinity Fire Department. The club will serve pancakes and sausage to attendees for a donation, Stafford said.

“There is no set price,” Stafford said. “You can come and get what you want.”

Stafford said the supper, which was coordinated in December as a kick-off fundraiser to raise money to send students to Carolina Point, a Young Life camp in Brevard, N.C, will be served by volunteers and, mainly, female members of the club, according to Stafford. The cost for each student to attend the weeklong camp, from July 5 through July 12, is $675, Stafford said.

“This is strictly a camp fundraiser for high school kids to go to camp during the summer,” Stafford said. “It’s kind of a scholarship for Southside High School students. Me, and a bunch of volunteers, floated ideas, and that’s the best one that stuck. Serving will be done by a group of high school girls, but we’re hoping to have some guys, too. The girls have been more established in helping out than the girls. They’re more willing to do that stuff than guys. I think they (guys) would just rather eat.”

Stafford came on as a staff associate for Southside High School about three months ago, he said. Having been the first student to join Young Life at his high school in Goldsboro and having led as a YL volunteer at N.C. State, Stafford was placed in Washington by Tom Johnson, area director for Young Life on the Pamlico, who also happens to be Stafford’s high school YL leader, he said.

“He’s kind of my boss so we work together now,” Stafford said. “So my story has kind of come full circle. I’m kind of learning the job, and part of my job is going to the high school with the mission of reaching every kid, everywhere — reach every lost high school kid for Christ. That’s the basic foundation for Young Life, and that’s where we begin and everything else kind of compounds on that. We just want them to hear the gospel.”

Although Stafford has been on staff for Southside’s Young Life only three months ago, the club has been in the works at the south-of-the-river high school for over a year through the work of volunteers like the Whittingtons, the Clarks and many other local families and individuals, Stafford said.

“We have a great team of volunteers out in Chocowinity that have been keeping it going,” Stafford said. “They’re really the ones who started it, and I’ve just come alongside to help them. I’d really like to see them take it and run. We’ll probably take it to a whole other level.”

On Feb. 9, SHS YL will host its first official club meeting at what is dubbed “the Warehouse,” located on U.S. Hwy 17 just outside of Washington in the vicinity of the Caterpillar dealer. Every Monday, the club will meet for what Stafford refers to as a party with a purpose — games will be played, songs will be sung, friendships will be forged and meeting by meeting, each and every member will hear more and more about Jesus Christ and the gospel. So far, about 25 percent of the school’s student body has joined the club, which is record-breaking and normally takes years to develop, Stafford said.

“I want it to have a party feel where kids can come and be open and not feel like part of a program and be known for who they are by leaders and staff,” Stafford said. “At the end (of the meeting/party), one of our leaders will talk about Jesus and who He is in their life.”

Stafford said in addition to today’s fundraiser and the summer camp, the club will be hosting several upcoming events, including a big banquet fundraiser at First United Methodist Church in Washington on Feb. 27 and a nighttime glow 5k race later this spring, to name a few.

For more information or if anyone would like to join Young Life on the Pamlico, contact Tom Johnson at 252-402-5088 or Scott Stafford at 919-738-5560.