Burning Bush International hosts Masquerade Murder Ball for Uganda charity

Alyssa Banister as Maid Luna Tick, and Eve Metsaran as Doctor Feel Good of Murder Mystery Incorporated entertained the attendees of BBI as they opened their wallets for a good cause in Uganda.

BRAWLEY— The El Centro-based Burning Bush International (BBI) held a fundraiser-themed dinner at Imperial Valley Stockmen's Club in Brawley, October 12. The evening was shrouded in mystery, with masks worn by the actors of Murder Mystery Incorporated (MMI), as part of their Masquerade Murder Ball. This event supported the charitable work BBI does in Uganda.

Guests were seated at their respective tables with a banquet prepared as the hired actors performed- until an unexpected turn of events happened. President Sal Free, played by Christian Sander, was poisoned and it was up to the audience to figure out “who done it”.

Sander also played Detective Peter Ness, who showed up in the second act to determine who was the guilty party. MMI's actors filled the dining hall with their theatrical antics and explained the rules to their participants. Garret Bettersworth played the charismatic Reginald Sawbucks, Alyssa Banister as the flamboyant Maid Luna Tick, and Eve Metsaran as the quirky Doctor Feel Good.

"We thought we could get 100 people to buy tickets and we went with 168 people buying tickets," said Brian Crittendon, BBI Vice President. Donors funded the event with all proceeds going to BBi Uganda.

The children of Uganda need access to clean water, education support, and opportunities to improve their living conditions, according to Crittendon. He and the co-founder of BBI, Nancy Lee Rhodes, started going to Uganda in 2008 with a group out of Arizona. 

"I saw how conditions were, and I just felt that the Lord was leading me to get involved," said Crittendon. "We're raising over $16,000 tonight because of ticket sales. We were in need of a new van. We've raised enough funds for the van and more." 

BBI has been assisting Ugandans with several endeavors, which include building wells near the villages, which in turn, reduced domestic violence and gave young women more time to become educated. The daily walk to far-away wells used to take hours.

Their goat project provides up to 100 children with one female goat for a $50 donation, and select villages are given 10 male goats to develop a herd, according to the official BBi Uganda website.

Justin Orsino

Reporter, originally published in The Desert Review

https://www.thedesertreview.com/religion/burning-bush-international-hosts-masquerade-murder-ball-for-uganda-charity/article_28eb5070-6c29-11ee-a8c7-83ba8dae8925.html