Fundraiser held for Greene Boys & Girls Club
A fundraiser was held March 9 for the Boys and Girls Club of Greene County. Attending the event were, from left, Stephanie Lanier, Joan Atkinson, Thurman Yelverton, Jonelle Davis and Ronald Speight,; front, Reginald ‘R.J.’ Wooten Jr. was named Greene County Youth of the Year. Submitted photo
SNOW HILL — The sixth annual Boys and Girls Club fundraiser, sponsored by the Greene County Training School-South Greene high School National Alumni Association, Inc and Greene County Improvement Association, was held March 9 at the Greene County Community Center.
The annual event is held to raise money for the local chapter of the Boys and Girls club. It also serves as a social gathering to prepare for the Inez E. Burge Scholarship program, where the alumni classes compete for which graduating class year can raise the most money for the scholarships.
The dinner and social event had food provided by Goldsboro’s McCall’s Barbecue & Seafood and the music was provided by the band the Monitors who have been together for more than 50 years. All profits from the event go directly to the Boys and Girls Club of Greene County.
The night started with Master of Ceremonies Elder Antonio Blow (class of 1986) who started the festivities with an opening speech to welcome everyone, and to invite those who are not members of The Greene County Training School-South Greene High School National Alumni Association, Inc. to become members to help further the community growth of Greene County.
One of the highlights from the evening came when the organizations honored one of their members. Thurman Yelverton, class of 1967, was honored for his continued support of religious and civic organizations. He stated he believes in service; giving back, as a way of impacting lives and communities in a positive way.
Another honoree of the evening was Alumni President Ronald Speight, who has dedicated much of his time and energy into ensuring that the community benefits from the programs they sponsored.
“If you don’t take care of kids today, you’ll pay for it tomorrow,” he said at the end of his speech.
The third person honored at the event was young Reginald “R.J.” Wooten Jr.; he was named the Greene County Youth of the Year. Wooten is a seventh grader who has participated in the Boys and Girls Club of Greene County since 2013. He worked hard to receive this award, including writing essays and participated in community-based activities. His mother, father, and grandmother were in attendance.
Daisy Morris, class of 1967, spoke of the hardships the group is facing in recruiting new members. With the current group getting on in years, they are actively seeking younger members to carry the torch of their work. It is their hope the recipients of the scholarships, as well as those in the community who benefit from the work that they do will pay it forward and join the organization to continue fundraisers like this one to ensure that Greene County continues to grow.
