Clubby Awards Banquet

National Boys & Girls Club Week, which was held from March 21-27, was a time that over 4,400 communities around the nation, including Mitchell County,celebrated the important work of their local Boys & Girls Clubs -- saving and changing young lives, every day, every week -- all year long.

As we all know, these are troubling times for our nation, especially for children. However, while we help our kids cope with the daily media reports of terrorism and war, other dangers lurk much closer to home. Child predators, gang violence, drugs, sexual abuse and academic failure are but a few of the challenges they deal with daily. We usually think of the home, with a solid family life and parental guidance, as the answer to nurturing and protecting our kids. But for millions of children in

America

, there's a gap. Research indicates the hours of 3-8 p.m. as the most dangerous time of day for young people -- when crime involving youth doubles -- as they leave school and return to an empty household or neighborhood street, idle and unsupervised.

The answer, according to experts, is to provide after-school programs in every community. In neighborhoods with effective programs, most youth-related problems are minimized or eliminated. Children are safe, they're involved in life-enhancing experiences with caring adults and meaningful challenges, and they can better understand and handle the larger threats and fears affecting our nation and our world.

As a token of appreciation for all those young people who are dedicated and determined to make a difference in the future, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County held an Awards Banquet on Tuesday, March 23^rd, 2010, to recognize them for their efforts and praise them for their achievements. The ceremony was held at the Mitchell County Teen Resource Center from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., during which time over 50 club members, staff and parents were recognized amongst more than 150 attendees.

Medal of Honor Awards were presented to members of the Camilla Unit, Pelham Unit, Jester Unit, and Teen Center by age group for each of the five core areas: Character & Leadership Development, Education & Career Development, Health & Life Skills, Sports, Fitness, & Recreation, and The Arts. Unit Directors presented the awards, and they were assisted by special guests David Sullivan, President, and James Lawrence III, President-Elect of the Camilla Rotary Club. Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Lawrence were asked to help present awards due to the Rotary Club's sponsorship of Education & Career Development programs.

Camilla Unit, awarded by Roney Mays:

Character & Leadership – Timothy Minatee, Zendai Brooks, Kendrianna Hill, Jada Merriweather

Education & Career Dev. – Aniyah Bennett, Briana Thompson, Kendrianna Hill, De’Travion Thomas

Health & Life Skills – Anyla Bell, Daria’una Butler, Savanna Williams, Kezian Jackson

Sports, Fitness, & Recreation – Jazzmine Gaines, Mahogany Jackson, Anthony McIntyre, Makiya Williams

Anna Alexander, Pelham Unit Director, presented the 2010 Pelham Unit Youth of the Year award to Justin Ellingwood, for his remarkable achievements as a Boys & Girls Club Member and for his love of working with the younger Club members as a staff member.

Stephen Francis, Teen Center Director, presented the 2010 Teen Center Youth of the Year award to Kevin Haywood, for his commitment and service to the Boys & Girls Club and the community.

Quantarious Gardner, the 2004 Corporate Youth of the Year recipient for Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County, was called upon to present the 2010 Corporate Youth of the Year award to Mitchell County High School student Kevin Haywood. After he received his award, Haywood gave a heartfelt speech about what the Boys & Girls Club has meant to him throughout the past seven years. Haywood will give this speech at the State Youth of the Year Competition in Atlanta, Georgia on March 25^th through 27^th. The winner of the State competition will then compete in a Regional competition. The Region winner will then go on to compete in the National competition.

In closing, Executive Director Ondrea Davis commented how proud she is of all the children awarded for their excellence, especially the Youth of the Year winners, and she thanked everyone for being in attendance, giving special recognition to all Corporate Board Members, City and County Officials, and parents for supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County.