February 26, 2004
Club awards boys and girls
Boys and Girls Club hands out awards to staff and members
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
In a feast of adjectives - responsible, cheerful, kind, inspiring, honest - the Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Traverse celebrated outstanding members, staff, board members and volunteers.
At their Cause for Applause ceremony Monday evening, held at the club's main site, more than 100 parents, members and community members cheered these winners.
"One thing that I really look forward to every year is the chance to acknowledge the boys and girls and also the special volunteers who make the club what it is today," said Meredith Wells Kerr, the chief executive officer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Traverse.
The Boys and Girls Club of Grand Traverse consists of eight member clubs: Glenn Loomis, Sabin, Traverse Heights, Blair and Interlochen Elementary Schools as well as Kingsley, Suttons Bay and the main club in Traverse City.
During the ceremony, every club recognized one or two children from their site who exemplified positive behavior, acted as a role model and showed a talent for something. Each award recipient received a scholarship to pursue a special interest, courtesy of the Optimist Club.
Anna Grant received the club member award for the Suttons Bay site, garnering a scholarship for art supplies.
"I like the friends and activities here," said Grant, a seventh grade student at Suttons Bay Middle School. "We go outside and to the library on Thursdays, go sledding and to the ice rink."
The club also gave out 18 honorable mention certificates to students who had been nominated for a club member award but did not receive it.
E. B. Goodwin of Gladstone bestowed the Goodwin Living Memorial Scholarship on two sisters, Lisa and Nicole Peacock from the Blair club. The scholarship honored the contributions of Goodwin, who volunteered regularly at the club until a recent move to the Upper Peninsula. Known affectionately as Grandma E.B., Goodwin is renowned for her love of the Mancala game as well as her warmth and caring.
"This is a great place to be that's dear to my heart and all the kids are wonderful," said Goodwin, who traveled to Traverse City for the ceremony.
Dino DePonio won the Youth of the Year award. The senior at West High School has been a regular at the club for more than four years and will soon join their staff as a full-time employee. DePonio will compete in a regional competition for Youth of the Year and could go on to state and national competitions.
A love of basketball first drew DePonio to the club in Traverse City, which has a full-size gym and basketball court. From sports, it was a short step to leadership and being a role model and friend to the younger attendees.
"I love it here and I love being her, this is like a second home to me now," he said.
Victoria Balderach, the Traverse City site director, received the Staff Member of the Year award.
"It's easy to do your job when you have good people around you," she said. "I feel lucky, you're only as good as the people around you and I have great people around me."