Boys and Girls Club banquet reflects on past
A local club designed to help the youth realize their full potential celebrated the end of its 2022-23 season. Boys and Girls Club of East Williamson County hosted its second annual banquet Aug. 3 to kick off its next fundraising campaign. The banquet took place the day after the club’s nine-week summer camp finished and was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
Gerald Walker, the branch director, said the club’s daily attendance increased to levels like those seen prior to COVID-19. The club served 303 youth in 2022 according to 2023’s annual report.
“They came back,” Walker said in a presentation at the banquet. “Not all clubs have recovered, but the Taylor club has recovered. We’re very proud that parents are choosing to send their kids to us.”
The club is a branch of a nationwide organization. During the school year, kids come to the club after the school day to have a safe place to stay where they are looked after.
One member, 11-year-old Amy Robles, was honored as the Junior Youth of the Year. Robles, an incoming sixth grader, participates in four different extracurricular activities and has been with the club for over three years.
After receiving her award, Robles presented program director Velma Nealy with the Staff of the Year award.
“Working at Boys and Girls Club is not easy,” Robles said. “It’s not just about watching kids, but also taking on roles such as parent, friend, nurse, mentor and teacher.”
Gerald Anderson, District 1 Taylor City Council member and chair of the club’s board of directors, received the Volunteer of the Year award.
In his role as board chair, Anderson has brought kids in the club to events, such as the Nutcracker ballet and to a University of Texas basketball game.
While Anderson did not have a Boys and Girls club he could attend as a kid, he was able to go to various summer camps. He sees the impact that the volunteer staff has on the kids and said the club is near to his heart.
“If you saw the film that was played earlier with Denzel Washington, stars and athletes that were part of Boys and Girls Club, you see what type of people that they raise here,” Anderson said.
Samsung Austin Semiconductor received the Community Partner of the Year award, which was the last award of the banquet.
Last year, the plant announced a donation of $1 million to be donated to charities in Taylor. One of the donation receivers was the Boys and Girls Club of East Williamson County, who received $250,000.
Michele Glaze, head of communications and community affairs for Samsung, said the plant is proud to have a partnership with the club because of how it will impact future generations in Taylor.
“I have seen firsthand over the last 25 years in my personal relationship with Boys and Girls clubs all the difference it makes,” Glaze said.
The club charges a $25 fee per member for the school year with a $50 maximum per family.
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