"BE Great" was the theme for the evening where special guest speaker Homer Drew, shared with adult community members and Club members the importance of setting goals and making the right choices. Once again everyone in attendance was reminded- the Boys & Girls Club Steak & Burger Dinner is not the typical fundraiser! At the dinner the kids were the guests of honor, the club members were served steak while the rest of us enjoyed burgers!
Ian Winstead of the Duneland Boys & Girls Club and Kaylan Taylor of the South Haven Boys & Girls Club were two of ten proud raffle winners of a bicycle and helmet at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County 10th Annual Steak & Burger Dinner.
In addition to dinner, raffle, and special guest speakers, the evening also featured a silent auction and awards! The Youth of the Year program is Boys & Girls Clubs of America's recognition program to celebrate members' leadership, character, and service. Each individual Club recognizes a Youth of the Month and then selects a Youth of the Year. Community volunteers then interview each Club Youth of the Year and one is named the overall organization Youth of the Year and participates in the state competition to become the regional, and then national Youth of the Year.
Quinlan Doolin, age 10 says, "It really is a great place; I've been there since kindergarten. [There are] so many different experiences that I get to have there!"
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County Youth of the Year 2009 and South Haven Club Youth of the Year 2009 award went to Dawn Williams! The Valparaiso Club Youth of the Year 2009 to Ashley Edwards; the Forrest L. "Dusty" Rhode Portage Club Youth of the Year 2009 to Amanda Plebanski; and the Duneland Club Youth of the Year 2009 to Ian Winstead! Congratulations to all the hard working club members! Also recognized was Cindy Mandich, for 10 Years of Service to Youth, and Norma L. Slanger for influence to help us obtain our future goals as a Friend of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County.
Tyler Cher, age 10 points out, "It's awesome- you get a lot of opportunities like field trips, the staff are nice, you can meet kids and make new friends."
For more information regarding the Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County phone 219.464.7282 or visit www.bgcpoco.org. Click here for more photos from the 2009 Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County Steak & Burger Dinner.