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Health & Fitness

Celebrating The Future at The Boys & Girls Club

Awards and Acknowledgement for club members and supporters at the South Oaklnd County Boys & Girls Club.

Saturday evening my wife Dawne and I had the pleasure of attending the annual Boys & Girls 2012 Celebrating the Future dinner at the Salter center in Royal Oak. The evening was filled with inspiring performances and speeches as well as acknowledgement for the community leaders on the Board of Trustees who make it happen.

 After being seated with a few fellow Optimist Club members, we were joined by two lovely young ladies from Hazel Park who are club members. Mia and Javonda participate in one of the career development and leadership programs at the club and shared their positive experiences. After the excellent dinner provided by Bob Higgins and the Oxford Inn, the two huindred plus members and guests enjoyed a program of performances and awards that left us touched, moved and inspired.

 Club member Jamal Berry started off with a contemporary dance routine that was simply amazing. Following an introduction by Club Director Brett Tillander, MC Gary Mach introduced 17 yr old Tim Brown, a B & G club member since he was 10 who performed “The Prayer “ from Les Miserables. All I can say is Wow!

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 We then were moved by a speech from Hope Pena, the 2011 Club member of the year followed by the introduction of the Junior, Intermediate and Senior members of the year as well as Ferndale member of the year.

 Club member Brendon Davis from the Southfield Field Zone Unit entertained us with two awesome piano performances. He is quite the showman and only 13 years old.

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Gary and Brett presented Judge Daniel Sawicki with the Lifetime trustee award and fellow Judge Terry Brennan presided over the swearing in of new trustee Doug Long. Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Tom Violante Jr.  presented the 2012 Heart & Soul award to trustee Kathy Berryman who was surprised and humbled by the honor.

The event was capped off by the presentation of 2012 Youth of The Year, Yousif Maizy.

This amazing young man shared his life changing experience as a very young boy who came to America without speaking a word of English and found a second home and family at the Boys and Girls Club. I met Yousif a few years ago when he was …..lets just say he was a little rough around the edges. To see the transformation to the mature and articulate young man he has become, is inspiring to say the least.

Congratulations are in order to Brett and the entire staff of the Boys and Girls Club for the life changing, transforming work they do with young people every day in Southeast Oakland County. Indeed, as their motto says “ Great Futures Start Here “

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