The 11th Annual Mayor’s Jeans & Jackets Ball was hosted March 13 to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County.
According to Wanda Lewis, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County, the event was a tremendous success. So far the event has raised over $92,000. The goal for the event was $100,000, but contributions are still encouraged. There were initially 400 reservations and despite the bad whether, the venue was packed.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County has two locations, Auburn and Opelika, serving students ages 6–18. The clubs serve as after school care and are open full days during the summer. The local clubs have served over 6,000 young people over the years.
“It doesn’t matter what age, what ethnicity or where their parents are from or where the work,” Lewis said. “There is something for every child at the Boys & Girls Club. I don’t know what Auburn and Opelika would be like without the clubs.”
The Mayor’s Ball auction featured artwork crafted by boys and girls from the local clubs. Ball attendees bid on art and donated goods to help raise funds for the clubs.
A jazz band serenaded the attendees as they ate and mingled. Tonya Turner, a single parent of a club member, stood to speak about the importance of the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Jake Gulledge, a comedian from Atlanta, kept the crowd laughing throughout the night, Lewis said.
“He was a good, clean, funny comedian,” Lewis said. “He spoke about his time growing up and how people impacted his life, which he then tied back to the importance of the club.”
The funds raised by the ball help pay for daily expenses produced by the two clubs. Technology, meals and overall operation is possible with the help of the ball, grants and individual contributors.
“It is very important that we have the contributions that we have,” Lewis said. “Without the help of the ball and community supporters, we wouldn’t be able to run the club the way we do now.”
The club has three impact areas. Academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyle are the main focus points for the clubs.
Lewis said that the clubs have strong relationships with local schools and teachers to ensure that students receive needed assistance in troublesome subjects. The club takes field trips, gardening and partakes in artistic activities. The club has different sports teams and a cheerleading team. Club members are also given the chance to participate in fine art activities and crafts.
Each year, a Youth of the Year is chosen for each branch of Boys & Girls Clubs. The program is a national program that all clubs participate in. Autumn Hayes was selected as the 2016 Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year.
“This program identifies and recognizes a young person in the clubs that displays leadership in the club, their community and their schools,” Lewis said. “The student selected is usually a good role model to their peers, someone that can be looked up to.”
Lewis has lived in Auburn her entire life and has worked with the clubs for 18 years. The Auburn and Opelika clubs have been around for 25 years.
Lewis said that there is nothing she would rather do.
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