Roughly 400 guests took “A Trip Down Memory Lane” last Wednesday evening at a retro-themed Angels Help Our Kids Take Flight dinner to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indian River County.
“This year is our 16th annual dinner, so we thought it would be fun to have a Sweet 16 party,” said Bill Munn, board co-chairman with Dan Somers. “The Angels Dinner is the most important fundraiser we have for the Boys & Girls Clubs. All scholarship money raised makes it possible for hundreds of kids in our community to spend their summer in a safe and educational environment.”
Arriving guests were greeted by B&GC members including Marve Henry, the 2017 Youth of the Year, and American Bandstand presentation emcees Davion, who aspires to be an actor, and Jaquan, who is planning a career in business management.
Engaging and courteous, members of the Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere clubs challenged attendees to ’50s trivia, gave out adorable hand-crafted poodle magnets and expounded on their favorite afterschool activities.
Amazing balloon centerpieces by Balloons by Sara’s Creative Events took the cake – in this case the ice-cream sundae – with pink parfaits topped with whipped cream, cherries and sprinkles that looked good enough to eat. No nibbles necessary, though; the Elizabeth Kennedy Catering retro meatloaf and mashed potatoes dinner concluded with a luscious sundae.
Adding to the nostalgic décor were gorgeous cars of the era on loan from Gordon Stewart, owner of Motor City Classic Cars, and Indian River Charter High School students garbed in their best ’50s apparel wandered the “halls,” periodically striking imaginative tableaux.
Club members overcame jitters and displayed their considerable talents, leading the pledge, invocation and Club Code, and performing a wide variety of musical numbers.
“Without the clubs, many of the children would have nowhere to go during the day while school is out,” said Sandy Johnson, event co-chair with Nancy Lynch. “Instead they will be able to come to the club and be surrounded by caring staff and volunteers thanks to all the angels in the audience.”
“We are putting huge smiles on these kids’ faces, we are giving them a sense of belonging and, mostly, we are giving them a sense of self-worth and confidence in themselves,” Lynch added.
“The Youth of the Year program is designed to recognize our best and brightest young people,” said Elizabeth Thomason, B&GC executive director, introducing 2017 honoree Marve Henry. An honor student and athlete, Henry is a junior at Vero Beach High School and a member of the Keystone Club, and intends to become a lawyer.
“My club experience has been amazing!” said Henry. Previously introverted, he shared that he overcame his fear of talking to new people and has gained trusted, long-term friends. “Those friends made me a better leader and pushed me to achieve good grades.”
As a Keystone member, he has attended leadership summits and learned how to mentor and teach others to be their best. “Being at the club has put people in my life that push me to my full potential. The Boys & Girls Clubs helps drive me toward my goals so that I may have a great future. Thank you to all who have helped me on this journey; I am where I am because of you.”
“One of our biggest new initiatives is our Destinations Program, which is exposing teens to a multitude of career and educational opportunities available to them,” said Dan Somers. “We are also expanding our athletics program with our expanded Vero Beach facility.”
The Angel Dinner provides the funding for summer-camp scholarships, and Somers said they hoped to raise enough to enable 700 children to receive a scholarship this year.