New Dream Teen Center Campaign Announced


New Dream Teen Center Campaign Announced

Current members of the Boys & Girls Club celebrate plans for the new Mable Hamrick Whisnant Teen Center with Millie Holbrook.
Boys & Girls Club Announces A New Century, A New Dream Teen Center Campaign - Teen Center Named In Memory Of Mable Hamrick Whisnant ...
On Tuesday, March 25, in the gymnasium of Turning Point Academy, 409 West Sumter Street, Shelby, the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County in cooperation with the Cleveland County School System presented to local officials, supporters, and community leaders, the vision of the Club’s A New Century A New Dream Teen Center Campaign.
This new teen center will feature after school programs and summer day camps for students in the 7th to 12th grade. This is an extension of the current program being provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County for students 1st through 6th grade. The homework help, career tracking, mentoring and education are all parts of the Boys & Girls Club of America programs.
Local attorney and previous Club Youth of the Year, David Teddy hosted the meeting and shared how the Club made a difference in his life. He reminisced of times in the 70s, when the country was going through a time of change. At the club, it was not about your family or background. The Club provided a place where kids could go to have fun.
Rodney Borders, principal, Turning Point Academy and alumni of the Club, talked about how he became active at the Club in fourth grade and learned to love football.  Borders earned a four year degree from Mars Hill College on a football scholarship to return to Shelby as an educator for the past 23 years.
Rakeem Sweezy, a tenth grader at Shelby High School and a ten year member of the Club as well as Ja’Quaila Shade, a senior at Burns High School who will start college at East Carolina this fall in the Neo-Natal Nursing program discussed how the Club has made a difference in their lives.  Both participated in the Teen Leadership Program provided by the Club over the past several summers.  Ja’Quaila spoke on how her first paid job was as a peer tutor in the “Power Hour “ Homework Help Program at the Club.
Jack Weller, Board President, Boys & Girls Club, presented an overview of the A New Century A New Dream Teen Center Campaign.  He explained that the funds would be raised during the campaign to renovate the current facility.   Estimated cost of the project is five hundred thousand dollars.  He remarked that when the center is open, the Club will be able to extend the program offered at the current Club to teens.  They will have a safe place to do homework, learn about making healthy life choices, explore career options, or just shoot hoops.  The Board has projected that it would take over 300 different donors at several different levels of giving to reach the goal.  
Weller shared the story of a self-sacrificing donor who made the largest single gift ever received by the Club to go toward the Teen Center.  Mabel Hamrick Whisnant, sister of Mildred Hamrick Keeter Davis, life long philanthropist in the Shelby and Cleveland County Community made the designation of the gift as part of her estate.  Whisnant passed away on March 31, 2013.
Weller called upon Millie Keeter, Mildred Keeter Davis’s daughter and niece of Mable Hamrick Whisnant, who shared the special relationship the two sisters had.  Whisnant learned of the Club through her sister Mildred’s eyes. In 2007 Whisnant, who taught in Lincoln County and Newton Conover Schools for more than 30 years, attended the Club’s Annual Awards Banquet with her sister, Mildred. Mildred Keeter-Davis received the Club’s Good Neighbor Award for her work with the Boys & Girls Club for making the Club’s Life Skills Center possible.  Holbrook said “My aunt Mable was one of the most humble people that I have ever known. My Mom told me that was a characteristic that her mother, Leah taught all of her children.  
Holbrook further described her Aunt Mable, “Meekness, mercifulness, compassionate, humbleness all of these are characteristics that depict my aunt. She sacrificed all of her life to do without and put other people before her.  She was a true servant of God.  We are here today because of her sacrifice.”  
Weller made the formal announcement that “It is my honor and privilege to recognize this level of commitment to the youngsters of Cleveland County.  The new Teen Center will be known as the Mable Hamrick Whisnant Teen Center.  Weller announced that the Boys & Girls Club received over $200,000 from Whisnant.  It represents 40% of the money needed to meet the goal to make the Teen Center possible. 
If you are interested in supporting the Mable Hamrick Whisnant Teen Center Campaign, please contact the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County by stopping by the Club at 412 West Sumter Street, call the Club at 704-471 CLUB (2582) or contact a Board Member suggested Weller. The Boys & Girls Cub of Cleveland County is a qualified 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and all donations to the Club are tax deductible as provided by law.
Provided By Boys & Girls Club Of Clev. County