(back) Susie Rolle and Bessie Weaver; (front) Serenity, E’Nijah and Patry’Nette. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

“Thank you for joining us tonight as we celebrate 26 years of changing lives,” said Angelia Perry, executive director of the Gifford Youth Achievement Center, welcoming guests to their Up, Up & Away Gala at the Oak Harbor Club.

“Your support helps us continue to offer programs and activities that impact not just the Gifford community, but all of Indian River County.”

Freddie Woolfork, director of public relations & facilities operations, noted that GYAC was founded in 1998 to increase the graduation rate of Gifford students, which had plummeted from its rate of 92 percent after Gifford High School closed in 1969. More than just the name of the organization, he said GYAC also stands for Giving Youth a Chance.

In addition to educational afterschool programs and summer camp for grades K to 12, GYAC partners with other nonprofits to provide food items, medical supplies and toiletries to people in need. Legal services are offered through the onsite Gifford Legal Services Clinic, and adults and seniors benefit from GYAC’s Beyond Special K program.

Several students spoke about their own experiences, after thanking everyone for supporting the nonprofit and helping to make their dreams come true.

“This is my first year at GYAC and so far I am enjoying the programs I have participated in, the friendships I have made, the tutoring I have gotten, and the great mentoring that I have received,” said sixth-grader Kyndall.

“GYAC is the perfect place for students to excel academically. GYAC has helped me raise my grades, helped me with my public speaking, and even explored my career path,” said Aalaya, a high school junior, who participated in the GYAC Youth Employability Program.

Speaking via video, GYAC scholarship recipient Alondra Munoz-Sandoval, a junior at Vanderbilt University, said GYAC helped her in many ways, from academics and building friendships, to being prepared and asking good questions.

“Your attendance this evening helps support students just like me to discover and continue pursuing their dreams. You can help more soar in 2024,” she added.

A highlight of the evening was a performance of “The Lion King, JR” by 15 GYAC students, who had taken Atlanta by storm when they performed there at the Junior Theatre Festival.

Kevin Quillinan, Riverside Theatre director of theater education, said the collaborative effort had been made possible by a legacy gift to the theater.

Some 6,500 children from around the world participate in the festival, many of them year after year, including a 28-student Riverside student component who performed “James and the Giant Peach.”

Undeterred, the GYAC students sparkled like superstars, winning the Excellence in Ensemble Work Award and the Freddie G Inspiration Award. Additionally, the two leads, Serenity Morgan as Rafiki and Joshua Irby as Scar, were selected as JTF All-Stars. The Riverside students also outdid themselves, receiving the Freddie G. Excellence in Acting Award.

The young performers gave it their all at the gala too, eliciting a standing ovation and words of praise all evening long.

The festive evening also featured an outstanding dinner, a silent auction and the gala’s signature silent disco, with guests dancing with headsets that offered three decades of dance music. With the boundless energy of the young, the students joined in on the fun dancing joyfully – and silently.

For more information, visitMyGYAC.org.

Photos by Joshua Kodis