GRAND BEACH — Last summer, Jaylun “Jay” Cook, a junior at New Buffalo High School, got bitten by the international travel bug. As a participant in the People to People Student Ambassador Program, he had the opportunity to travel to Australia with 30 other student delegates.

The program, founded by Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, provides students with the opportunity to learn about other countries by travelling to them. In many cases, the students stay with local host families, enabling them to learn even more about the day-to-day lives and cultures of the people in the countries they are visiting.

This year, the itinerary for the 2 1/2-week tour includes visits to Italy, France, Switzerland and Austria. And, with the cost of participating in the trip being $7,200, students are encouraged to raise the necessary funds while participating in community outreach efforts.

To that end, Jay has arranged to host a farm-to-table dinner with Brad Hindsley, owner and executive chef of Spire Farm-to-Fork Cuisine, located in the Legacy Hills Golf Club in La Porte, Ind.

“Spire Farm-to-Fork Cuisine got involved after I approached Brad,” Jay said. “He was very willing to help, and he’s donating his services to the event.”

Jay chose to focus his fundraising efforts on providing a farm-to-table dinner because of the growing interest in such events.

“I chose to do a farm-to-table event because, in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana, there have been a lot of farm-to-table dinners that have been very popular,” Jay explained. “I’m trying to give back a little bit through providing a good dinner and an evening of live entertainment.”

Jay is hoping that the response to this event will be more productive than were his efforts to raise money for the trip he took to Australia last year.

“Last year, I didn’t get a great response in my fundraising efforts. I mainly went door to door,” Jay recalled. “I received the most help last year from family members and some local businesses.”

While raising $7,200 could be a daunting task for anyone, let alone a junior in high school, Jay’s experiences in Australia help to keep him motivated.

“I’ve gained so many new friends through the program,” Jay said. “In Australia, I stayed with a local family, the McAulays. They were the nicest family. Very welcoming and fun. They are the nicest, greatest people.”

As an outgoing person who makes friends easily, Jay hopes that he will meet more such people on his travels through Europe. He credits his experience of moving a lot as a child with his ability to make friends and his desire to see more of the world.

“I learned that you can’t be shy,” Jay said. “It’s probably one reason why I’m pretty outgoing and I make friends quick.”

Although he longs to travel far from home, Jay counts his family members among his biggest supporters. In fact, his mother, Jennifer Cook, and stepfather, Jason Greenbaum, are the ones who introduced Jay to the People to People program

“They’re the ones that have encouraged me the most, and I can’t thank them enough for getting me interested in this program,” Jay said. “Without them, I wouldn’t have been interested in doing it at all.”

The event is scheduled to take place on May 15, with appetizers and cocktails at 6 p.m. (central time). Dinner will then begin at 7 p.m., and it will be followed by live entertainment and an additional cocktail hour. Tickets for the event are $95 per person, and reservations can be made by calling Spire Farm-to-Fork Cuisine at (219) 575-7272. The restaurant’s website is http://www.spirefarmtofork.com.

Jay’s plans for this year’s fundraiser also include a silent auction, and he is hoping that local businesses will be willing to donate items in exchange for some advertising. He is also accepting donations from individuals who would like to help, but who cannot attend the dinner. Additional information can be found at www.Farm2Table4Education.com.