Cape Coral has historically been known as the town for the “newlywed and nearly dead.” But a group of young activists have been tapped by the City Council to change that image.

The Cape Coral Youth Council is preparing it’s Fall Gala, an extravagant event that will the public to interact with local community leaders, including members of the Youth Council.

The Youth Council is an advisory committee to the City Council, currently being advised by Councilman Rick Williams. They have made great strides in this role, speaking to the League of Cities last year, where they won an award for “Blessings in a Backpack,” a charity fighting childhood hunger.

The Fall Gala is the Youth Council’s “Senior Project”, which will promote what the Youth Council does. The Council will have their own presentation and catering and are currently looking for sponsors and raffle donations, with gold sponsors costing $500 and silver sponsors costing $250. Mayor Joe Coviello announced at a recent City Council meeting he would provide a $2500 donation for a sponsorship.

“We want to show the businesses in Cape Coral,” said Jason Brandish, one of the presenters. “We want to show how great our city is.”

Outside the Youth Council’s Fall Gala, the Council is fighting for local concerns such as school bus stops, city appearances, and school security, and are preparing a pilot program with different schools to clean up local bus stops, similar to Adopt-A-Road.

The Fall Gala will be held on September 14^th at 6 P.M. at Kiwanis Hall on Santa Barbara Blvd. It is open to members of all ages, with a tentative agenda of a catered dinner, music, city official presentations, and a raffle. The proceeds will go to Blessings in a Backpack, the Youth Council’s legacy charity. Tickets will be $30 for adults, $5 for children.

For questions or more information, or to purchase tickets, please contact Connie Griglin at cgriglin@capecoral.net.