BUILDING GREAT FUTURES: Boys and Girls Club raises over $67,000
Published 11:08 pm Thursday, August 24, 2017
Star Photo/Curtis Carden Hundreds gathered inside the Boys and Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County Thursday evening for the second annual Steak 'n' Burger, a fundraiser used to benefit the facility. Pictured, University of Tennessee Vice Chancelor & Director of Athletics John Currie mingles with the crowd.
Star Photo/Curtis Carden Josh Smith with WJHL and Boys & Girls Club member Noah C. served as the emcees for Thursday's event.
Star Photo/Curtis Carden Attendees have dinner before the start of festivities.
Star Photo/Curtis Carden A video is presented showcasing the stories of different children that use the facility.
Star Photo/Curtis Carden Corey Paulson, Boys and Girls Club board member, shares the reason why he is involved with the organization.
Hundreds of hours may seem like a tall order but for a group of community members, the smiles on children’s faces makes it all worthwhile.
The Boys and Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County was bustling with traffic Thursday evening for the second annual Steak ‘n’ Burger fundraiser, presented by Citizens Bank.
Community members were able to raise money throughout the evening and learn more about the active going on inside the facility.
Elizabeth Williams, resource development and marketing director for the facility, noted the event saw a 30 percent increase in ticket revenue and sponsorship. Prior to the event, Williams noted the event had already raised $28,000. During the night, the Club was able to raise an additional $19,905. Along with a match from an anonymous donor for 100 percent, Steak ‘n’ Burger officially raised $67,435 by the end of the night. The total surpassed last year’s amount of approximately $40,000.
Proceeds raised from the event provide funding for different initiatives, including homework assistance, caring adults, meals, and other vital resources offered by the organization.
Boys and Girls Clubs provide a vital resource to communities, according to University of Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics John Currie. Currie served as the keynote speaker for Thursday.
“This such an incredible ministry and opportunity for children to come together,” Currie said. “In this day and age, we have a lot of polarization and anxiety in our country. To have a place like this, where kids can come together to be safe, be mentored and be supported is really important. I’m proud to be just a small part of this event tonight. Some great money is being raised for the Boys and Girls Club.”
Over the summer, the Boys and Girls Club provided a 10-week program. The facility was opened all day for a total of 564 hours. During the program, the facility served 366 local kids and averaged 172 kids a day.
Currie was quick to praise the efforts of the local chapter.
“The work the staff puts in is incredible,” he said. “It’s great to see a community so involved in being part of children’s lives.”
University of Tennessee and the local Boys and Girls Club do have some similarities in the form of Jason Witten. The Elizabethton High football standout continued his football career at the University of Tennessee before ending up with the Dallas Cowboys.
“I will say on the way up here, I did send Jason Witten a text and told him I was on my way to his town,” Currie said with a grin. “He sent me a note right back and wanted me to tell everyone hi and how great the community is.”
Throughout the night, various guest speakers provided stories of how the Club has impacted their lives. Thursday’s program was emceed by WJHL’s Josh Smith and Club member Noah C. Board President David Batchelder, Board member Corey Paulson and Ginny Wright each shared stories about the facility. Freda Palmer, Club parent, also talked about the impact the facility had made on her family.
To learn more about the organization, visit www.bgcecc.org or call (423) 543-2946.
