It was a tough call to make with 11 outstanding candidates for the 2008 Youth of the Year, but Alayna Bell shone as brightly as her name when she received the award Jan. 26 at the annual event held at the Sheraton Detroit Novi Hotel. India Smith, of the Romulus Wick Club, was selected as first runner-up and Samuel “Sam” Maddox, of the Bloomer Club, was named second runner-up. What set Alayna apart were her leadership skills and amazing growth from a shy child to a mature, responsible teen, eager to help others. She gives Boys & Girls Clubs a lot of credit for her achievement. “I was very quiet and people thought I was stuck up. I needed to branch out and talk to other people,” she said. “Making friends at the Club helped me show my true emotions. I learned to say what’s on my mind and let people understand who I am.” A six-year member, Alayna belonged to the Sarver Club in Redford until it closed and then she joined the newly built Dick & Sandy Dauch Campus – NFL/YET Boys & Girls Club.

Clubs give Alayna tools to succeed

The Clubs’ programs and activities – arts, fitness, sports, character development and others – helped her overcome personal challenges. They also enhanced her talent as a budding artist and improved her leadership and time management skills.

Among her strengths, she is proud to say that she is “hard working and honest.” Her interest in art is one form of self-expression. She created a sculpture – a life-like tombstone that dealt with the Iraq war – which won first place at the Boys & Girls Clubs regional competition and was entered into the national competition.

Club Director Jackie Banks notes that Alayna has become a leader. “She participated in career days, worked at the Club’s nutrition center, and learned how to handle money. She has an excellent rapport with kids. She is also the president of the Keystone Club (a leadership and service program for teens). Getting to know people has opened doors for her.”

A senior at Henry Ford Academy in Dearborn with a 3.6 GPA, Alayna belongs to the National Honor Society and Combat Underage Drinking Initiative at her charter school. She has taken a lead in organizing drives to collect food, blankets and toys for area nonprofits, including homeless shelters in her community. She plans to attend Oakland University in the fall to study business management and art. Her career goal is to become an art director at a marketing firm.

Among her lifelong goals are the desire to continue learning, doing her best, and being a mentor to others. “I must continue to learn in order to compete in this world. My African-American ancestors were not given the opportunity to be educated and that only motivates me more.”

India Smith, 17, said Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan has helped her overcome personal difficulty, develop an interest in French, and become more outgoing.

As runner-up of the Youth of the Year, India has varied interests and a desire to take on leadership roles. When she graduates from Romulus High School in June, she plans to study dance and writing at Columbia College of Chicago.

Of her interest in the arts, she noted, “Dancing gives me the power to express my feelings and emotions to my audience. Poetry gives me the power to speak my mind on paper for my readers to enjoy.”

She has been a member of the Romulus Club, based at Wick school, for eight years. She participated in the Career Launch program and worked as a junior staff member. She was selected to attend a three-day leadership workshop hosted at Schoolcraft College by Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.

“Being a part of Boys & Girls Clubs has given me fresh, new experiences that’ll last me a lifetime,” she said. “I’ve become more positive and interactive. The staff is like a second family to me. They helped mold me into a responsible person.

Involved in many activities, India was a color guard member for her high school marching band. She readily demonstrates self-confidence, poise and healthy self esteem. She was chosen by her high school principal to speak to the school board about the “Romulus Way.”

India lives in a home headed by a single mom, who works midnights. Her brother died an untimely death at age 12, about six years ago. “The staff was there for me when I needed them. I am proud to be part of such a caring group of people,” she said.

She believes in philanthropy: donating used clothing to the Salvation Army, helping out at Gleaners Food Bank and getting involved in community events.

Sam Maddox is only 15, yet has experienced so many highs and lows during his short life that he could pass as an adult. Rather than become embittered by many of the troubled times of his life, the Youth of the Year runner-up has chosen to become a leader.

A member of the Bloomer Club for six years, his quick and easy smile can light up a room. He maintains a 3.1 GPA at Western International High School, makes friends easily and uses his considerable computer skills for his advancement and to assist others.

He has been raised by his grandparents since he was 10, when it became too much for his mother to support four children on her own. Sam’s father had left the family years earlier. Sam’s grandfather was his mentor. He taught Sam how to work hard, study and help out in the household. Sadly, his grandfather developed pancreatic cancer and died in May 2007. While devastating for Sam, he soon took on the role of the man of the household.

“My birth family and Club family have meshed together and continue to be a very important part of my life,” Sam said.

The Club has helped him focus on leadership roles and assume responsibilities that will serve him well in life. He has received two leadership awards from the Bloomer Club. He was president of the Torch Club and is now a member of the Keystone Club, which focuses on mentoring younger members and doing community service. His favorite activities at the Club are playing team sports, doing animations, and helping others with computers.

Sam attends DAPCEP courses, a pre-engineering program with classes held at Michigan State University as an expanded part of his high school science and math curriculum. Upon graduating from high school, Sam plans to attend Wayne State University and get degrees in computer science and archeology. His dream is to excavate at sites in Rome and Greece.

The kids of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan will gain needed support to advance their educational pursuits when they participate in the Youth of the Year contest, thanks to a generous corporate contribution from Microsoft Corp.

Microsoft’s Heartland division contributed $45,000 to help cover the cost of conducting the 2008 awards competition.

This gift was facilitated by John Fikany, Microsoft vice president and B&GCSM board member. “The commitment to community and display of talent among these young people is truly inspiring,” he noted. “We are thrilled to be assisting these students in realizing their full potential through the Youth of the Year awards program.”

Support of the program aligns with Microsoft’s corporate community giving mission, which “recognizes that today’s youth need greater technical skills to compete in a technology-driven world.” In a national partnership that began in 2000 with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Microsoft has granted free software for chartered Clubs. This effort was expanded with other corporate sponsors to provide essential hardware so Club members could gain needed computer skills.

“The Youth of the Year awards program supports the educational aspirations of our most talented and promising youth. Microsoft understands the value of this, which gives these accomplished young men and women hope and opportunity. We are very grateful to Microsoft for investing in the future of our Youth of the Year winners,” said B&GCSM President and CEO Len Krichko.

Microsoft’s support will also help increase awareness among youth at the Centers about the need for more computer programmers as a career.

“One of our initiatives is education evangelism,” noted Nicole Summitt, of Microsoft’s Heartland division. “We show students that computer programmers do not just sit behind a computer developing code. They also develop games for the X box, and work with business to improve their infrastructure. The need for skilled IT workers in the United States is huge and the pool is small.”

The Friendship Club Breakfast on April 4 launched the official start of the 2008 Annual Giving Campaign. Table hosts were asked to invite business associates and friends who would help support the organization. The audience learned that 20 percent of members can’t afford the annual membership of $50, yet no child is turned away. The case for support was strengthened as 2008 Youth of the Year winners told their personal stories about how the Clubs impacted their lives.

Among the 240 guests who attended, nearly $95,000 was raised. The successful event was spearheaded by B&GCSM Resource Development Chair Tom Goss, chairman of Goss, LLC, and B&GCSM Board Chair Tom Hoeg, executive VP and COO of Amerisure Insurance Companies, and sponsored by National City.

Past supporters are also being invited to contribute to the Annual Giving Campaign through a spring mailing. With an annual operating budget of $6.6 million, a solid $2 million must come from individual donors this year.

“It’s a tall order, yet with the help of supporters and board members, we can meet that goal,” said B&GCSM President and CEO Len Krichko.

“We need to become less reliant on grants and programs that have been shrinking over the past several years and gain more support among individual donors,” said Heather Rindels, senior vice president of development.

Several new fundraising efforts are in the works to help cover cutbacks from funding sources due to the region’s economic downturn. Among them are:

• A phone-a-thon to 1,000 individuals is being conducted by a contracted call center.
• Gain support from area businesses in neighborhoods with Clubs.
• A new on-line giving option. Donations can be securely made on our website: www.bgcsm.org.
• Obtain greater support from private foundations.
• Use the envelope in this newsletter to make a gift. Donations of all sizes are welcome.

However you choose to give, the kids thank you for your support!