On Thursday, September 16, 2021, at the first annual Club ’92 Society appreciation event hosted by Jack Lewis Jewelers, the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal honored their 2020 and 2021 Helping Hands Award recipients, Mr. Terry L. Reid and Mr. & Mrs. Greg & Sara Frankowiak.
The Frankowiaks were presented with the Club’s 2021 Helping Hands Award for their long-term dedication to the Club’s program funding and mission. Introduced to the Club by Board member Darren Brant in 2014, the Frankowiaks began providing substantial gifts during the Club’s Great Futures Annual Appeal. Their commitment and generosity grew as they, Mr. Brant and their church, First Presbyterian Church, began hosting an annual golf event to benefit the Club. Each year, the Frankowiaks continue to increase their gift, and double their donation by matching their gift with State Farm’s generous matching gift program.
“Greg & Sara exemplify the best of selfless service to our community’s youth. They are passionate and steadfast in their giving to ensure our youth have opportunities to become positive, caring and responsible leaders in our community,” commented Tony Morstatter, Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal. “We are humbled and grateful for their generosity.”
Due to Covid restrictions and the inability to gather in 2020, the Club and its leaders also presented Mr. Terry L. Reid with the Club’s 2020 Helping Hands Award. Mr. Reid has been a supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal since 2015. More recently, he has been at the forefront of the Club’s comprehensive campaign planning and continues to lead the team in its dedication to building a new Clubhouse at Sunnyside Park, just down the block from the current facility. Mr. Reid has provided countless financial contributions, in addition to dedicating hundreds of hours, to the success of this critically needed endeavor.
“Mr. Reid has been a vital member of our campaign team,” commented Tony Morstatter, of the Boys & Girls Club. “Terry’s commitment to the vision we have for our community is tremendous and continues to inspire us all to make this dream possible for the youth in our community. We are honored to have his leadership and passion as we continue to move forward with a successful campaign.”
Where will the money go?
To put it simply, the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal provides a safe after-school environment for young people throughout our community. The Club provides programming for almost 1,700 youth each year helping them grow their skills in three programmatic outcome areas; academic success, good character & citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.
83% of Boys & Girls Club members receive free or reduced lunch at school and 74% live in single-parent or non-traditional households. The Club served 1,667 youth in 2020, as registered members and through community outreach. The annual membership fee is only $25 per child. Membership dues are low and no child is turned away due to financial restrictions, yet it costs the Club more than $637 per member per school year to keep the Club open; therefore, raising funds is crucial to our success.
