VANCOUVER — A 14-year-old girl's quest to give away two tickets to Ellen Degeneres's appearance in Vancouver has turned into an 82-ticket giveaway complete with all the "winners" singing O Canada before show time.
Capri Everitt had planned to award two tickets to the "best Canadian fans" based on their performance of the national anthem with her outside Rogers Arena on Friday night.
Everitt says she earned the money for the tickets by busking in downtown Vancouver and wanted to pass them on to others as part of a pre-show performance to welcome the American entertainer.
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade heard about her idea and donated 80 tickets, and the teen has given them to various multicultural societies so kids they serve can have a chance to see Degeneres.
Everitt says everyone who's already been given a ticket will join her to sing O Canada before they enter the arena, and their own little show will include the flags of 80 countries where she has travelled with her family.
The Grade 9 student says she sang the national anthem of each country she visited, and in the native language, during a nine-month trip two years ago as part of her "Around the World in 80 Anthems" tour.
She says her global trip to raise money for a children's charity helped her feel grateful about Canada's multiculturalism.
"I really learned to appreciate that because it's such a beautiful thing and not every country has it," she says.
Everitt, 14, says she wanted to give away tickets to Degeneres's show because "she believes in welcoming everyone no matter what their sexual orientation is or their culture and I believe her fans and her supporters do too.
"I want Ellen to know that Vancouver, and Canada in general, is such a multicultural and amazing place to live. And I want her to know we're very welcoming."
Everitt says youth groups singing the national anthem of their native country, including Colombia, Croatia, China, Israel and the Philippines, will also be joining her outside Rogers Arena, along with the 80 ticket holders singing O Canada and those vying to win the two original tickets to see Degeneres.
She says she learned the anthems of each country before leaving on her trip by contacting staff at various embassies and through people in Vancouver's diverse community.
Everitt says she'll decide who gets the original two tickets when they sing the anthem together.
