Jazzy Children’s Fund is a nonprofit local organization that helps children in Vermont and New Hampshire. The organization was started because a BMU student named Jasmine (Jazzy) Paye was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and, unfortunately, died from it.  Before Jazzy passed away, she and Mrs. Dawn Lazarra discussed what they could do to help other sick children.  Jazzy came up with the idea to  “Paye it forward,” because her last name is spelled P-A-Y-E.   They decided to start an organization in honor of Jazzy’s memory. And that’s how Jazzy’s Children Fund was created.

As expressed on their website (jazzyschildren.org), the organization’s mission is “to fulfill Jasmine’s dream by raising money for families with children who have life threatening illnesses or injuries.” Through the website, families can apply for funds to help defray their expenses.  The fund hopes “to improve the quality of these children’s lives.”

The organization has many different fundraisers. For example, recently, the BMU Middle School participated in “coin wars” and raised money for  Jazzy Children.  One of their popular fundraisers that they do every year is called No Shave November, when adults get sponsors for not shaving for the month of November. Other challenges that they have done are selling cupcakes and jumping in Ticklenaked Pond on Thanksgiving morning.

A new fundraiser will be an Easter egg hunt on April 16th. The sponsors will fill up 3,000 eggs, with some containing money.  Participants will then search for the most eggs. In the fall, there will be a quarter auction and a craft fair.

Mrs. Lazarra’s favorite fundraiser was the first Jazzy’s “Jump in the Pond.”  This event raised almost $10,000 for Jazzy and her family while she was sick.  She stated, “It was so much fun for the whole entire school to jump in a frozen pond.”

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