“It’s been just incredible to meet the community,” said John, who recently purchased a home in the Rossville neighborhood with his fiancée. “We have really jumped in to meet the community. It’s really special here because people have worked together for a long time — generations of families. But there is also still a lot of work to give equal opportunity to work for everyone in the community. It’s just better preparing our kids to be successful and wanting to stay here and build their future here, too.”
That mission continues on May 20 with the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton’s Heart of an Angel Celebration, a fundraiser at the Hamilton Courtyard Marriott.
“We’re going into our 70th year, so this is kind of like the pre-party for the start of the 70th,” John said. “We’ll have a lot of stuff focused on that next year.”
The Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton has a mission to enable the youth, especially those at-risk youth, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. They have clubs at East Avenue, Grand Boulevard, and, through a partnership with Hamilton City Schools, at Highland Elementary.
John said the whole purpose of the upcoming event is to let the community know more about the organization, as it’s recently opened a third location and the CEO wants to open more. He said for any kid that wants to have access to an afterschool program should have access to an afterschool program.
“That’s the biggest thing to me,” he said. “This is a big celebration for where the community to be a part of, to learn where the organization is going.”
Also, at the celebration and fundraiser, the Angel Award recipient will be honored, which that person isn’t aware they will receive it, John said. The winner of the award, he said, is someone who’s done a lot of firsts in the community.
The event is not a typical fundraiser, as it will be hors d’oeuvres as opposed to a typical plated event.
“There’s going to be music through the decades, from the ‘50s to the ‘90s. we want people to come sing along and have drinks, have some food, and have a good time,” he said, adding it will be general seating for most of the tables.
People can register as late as the night before the Saturday event. General admission is $85 per ticket, and flights for the wine sampling and bourbon samplings are $35 and $45, respectively. There’s an option for donations for those who cannot attend but still want to give.
“There’s a lot of work and a lot of potential,” John said, “but there is a real strong foundation on which to really launch our city forward.”
HEART OF AN ANGEL CELEBRATION
What: The Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton will host the Heart of an Angel Celebration, a fundraiser for the organization.
Register: People can register as late as the night before the Saturday event.
Cost: $85 per ticket (general seating, hors d’oeuvres served); flights for the wine sampling and bourbon samplings are $35 and $45, respectively. There’s an option for donations for those who cannot attend but still want to give.
More info: bgchamilton.org/upcoming-events
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