Joanne Chiasson doesn't want Langley kids to slip through the cracks of the education system the way her daughter Amy did.

Amy passed away suddenly, at the age of 22, almost two years ago.

That's why Chiasson is putting together the Amy Langelaan memorial scholarship fundraiser on New Year's Eve, to raise enough money to send six at-risk youth to post-secondary school.

Chiasson said the scholarships are for kids who don't fit the regular school system, but persevere in alternative schools like Cloverdale Learning Centre or Apex Secondary in Langley, both of which Amy attended.

Amy was always a tomboy growing up, her mother said. Openly gay, she had to contend with being different from others. She dressed like a boy and was friends with all the boys.

"She had to show how strong a person she was when she joined an all-boys football league here in Langley," Chiasson said about Amy's decision to join the Langley Panthers in 1999. It showed how determined she was to prove herself.

Amy was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder during a time when teachers didn't quite understand how to deal with it. That meant there were many missed opportunities, so Chiasson said she had to step up as an advocate for Amy.

Now she wants to advocate for kids like Amy.

"In today's society there's so much out there for kids to be tempted by, whether it's drugs or alcohol," she said. "[Amy] always thought that I should be a counsellor for kids like her. So I feel that this is a way to show her the due respect that she deserved and help other kids to educate themselves - to not be in the situation that she was."

Amy's father passed away just before she graduated from Cloverdale Learning in 2006. She struggled to find her way in the working world, because she had no training or education beyond high school.

She welded, did carpentry, and worked in warehouses, but because she was small, she would get hurt a lot, her mother said.

Losing those jobs led Amy to hang out with the wrong crowd, and Chiasson wants to prevent that from happening to others.

Chiasson got a phone call at 3 a.m. on the day of her daughter's death. Amy asked her to drive a friend who had had a bit too much to drink. She kissed Amy on the forehead and told her she loved her.

Though she never saw her alive again, Chiasson feels as though she had a chance to say goodbye.

Chiasson said councillors and support groups didn't work for her in the aftermath of Amy's death, ruled a suicide.

"Every time, we constantly relive and rehash everything," she said. "Your brain actually thinks it's reliving the event over and over again, and you never give yourself time to heal."

Instead, she finds healing by trying to leave a positive legacy for Amy: "I need to ensure that she's never forgotten."

The memorial fund's first scholarship recipient has just started studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, to become a music teacher.

Chiasson said it makes her feel good inside to help someone do something positive.

Philanthropy is nothing new to Chiasson and her family. She was helping with a Rotary Mardi Gras fundraiser to commemorate Frank Langelaan's (Amy's father) contributions to Langley Lodge, when Amy suddenly passed.

The devastating loss almost had Chiasson cancel her plans: "All of a sudden it was in memory of both of them."

A single mother for 14 years, Chiasson often held dinner fundraisers, with proceeds to a charity, and that would be her Christmas present for her daughters.

"We'd make a big fancy dinner for friends and family, climb into the car after dinner, and go on a Christmas lights tour," she said. "Well, I'll tell you, those kids still remember that today."

Now Chiasson is focused on scholarships for students from Apex Secondary. Students must be registered at a post-secondary school and paid their tuition, so they can be reimbursed.

The Valley Women's Network of Langley has helped with much of the fundraising, offering door prizes, silent auctions, and buying and selling tickets to the New Year's Eve gala.

The Gangster's Gala is taking place at the newly renovated Sunrise Golf and Racquet Club on Hwy 10 and 184th Street on Dec. 31. Doors open at 8 p.m. to the theme of a 1920s speakeasy. People can dance to the band, Heist, which played at the Olympic Village during the 2010 Games.

Tickets can be purchased for $89 in advance - at Hallowville Manor, Mi Casa, or The Manor on Grover Road - or $99 at the door. The Ramada Inn is partnering with Sunrise Golf Course to offer a $25 taxi voucher and a room for $99.