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Community Corner

Roaring 20s Auction Exceeds $400,000 for Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence

Approximately 280 attendees raised more than $400,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence (BGCL) at its annual auction, which took place on May 3 at DiBurro’s in Haverhill. The auction is BGCL’s largest fundraiser, providing a significant portion of the annual operating budget for critical programs focusing on academic success, healthy lifestyles, and community involvement for 3,400 youth members at two locations.

 

With many dressed in Roaring 20s party-themed attire, attendees enjoyed dinner and cocktails while bidding on dozens of silent and live auction items. The keynote speaker was 2010 BGCL Youth of the Year Greydy Diaz, a senior at Fairfield University who interned at NBC Sports. Frank Cieri served as auctioneer, and Timra Carlson was recognized for serving as chair of the Auction Committee.

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Markus Fischer, executive director of BGCL, said he is humbled by the generosity of community members whose generous donation of auction items “literally helps keep our doors open.” Some of the highest sellers included a six-day tour of Germany for two in a brand new Mercedes-Benz; the Ultimate Guys Night for seven with fine wine, cigars, and gourmet food hosted in a private wine cellar; a golf extravaganza with lodging and dining for four in Pebble Beach, California; an officially licensed 2015 Boston Marathon race number; and an ocean-view vacation home for seven days on Mykonos, Greece.

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Brand new this year was a collection of 33 wine bottles hand-selected by the BGCL Board of Governors. Other popular items included premier Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics tickets with fan experiences, tickets to Katy Perry’s Prismatic World Tour, chef’s table nights, a makeover for 10 at Robert Jason Salon in Andover, artwork, jewelry, and home goods. One lucky winner won a raffle cash prize of $10,000.

 

In addition, many attendees bid on items to benefit Club kids rather than themselves. A group of individuals committed to paying for a qualified BGCL member to attend the prestigious Phillips Academy Summer Session. Sixty donors volunteered to “Feed the Need” toward the cost of giving Club kids a hot meal every day.

 

“Most qualify for free meals at school, and many would not eat dinner if not for the Club,” Fischer said. “The need is great, from providing a basic meal to assisting with academic achievement. It is through the generosity of our community that we continue to assist the youth of Lawrence in breaking the cycle of poverty.”

 

BGCL Board of Governors member Tom Costello and his wife, Auction Committee member Kary Robertson, have been coming to the auction for more than 25 years. However, this was just the second time the Newburyport residents attended as guests rather than working at the event.

 

Costello said they have supported BGCL all these years because of the “miraculous work” it accomplishes. “What the Club does in Lawrence is the gold standard,” he said, “and this is where our hearts are.”

 

Carlisle residents Jim and Linda Kistler, who is also a member of the BGCL Board of Governors, began supporting BGCL after attending the auction – and then touring the facility at Costello’s invitation – seven or eight years ago. After a 35-year career teaching accounting at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, she is most impressed with the Club’s emphasis on academics. Whereas 61 percent of high school seniors graduate in Lawrence, 96 percent of BGCL members go on to pursue higher education.

 

Kistler’s favorite part of the auction is the presentation by a Club kid who describes the difference that the BGCL has made in his or her life. Particularly memorable was the speech by 2012 Youth of the Year Fortune Kalala, who described living in refugee camps in Africa before moving to Lawrence in the seventh grade.

 

“I had tears in my eyes,” Kistler recalled of the Central Catholic High School graduate, who is now studying pre-med at Stonehill College. “If we can be part of getting kids like Fortune through school and into college to make a better life for themselves, what can be better?”

 

Andover resident John Brockelman joined the BGCL Marketing and New Business Committee two years ago at the suggestion of Kevin McGovern, a member of the BGCL Board of Governors and chairman of the Development Committee. He, too, was hooked after a tour of the Club.

 

“To me, what’s great about the Club is its combined focus on academics, making healthy choices, and giving back,” said Brockelman, who has involved his own 13-year-old son in volunteering at the Club’s Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas party. “Its success is wonderful to see.”

 

About the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence

The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence provides a safe, after-school haven for more than 3,400 youth (ages 7 to 18) to come for hot meals, homework help, fitness and nutrition programs, college and career planning, and lasting personal relationships. The club offers critical programs that focus on academic success, healthy lifestyles, and community involvement at two locations: the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence at 136 Water St., and the Beacon Boys & Girls Club at 71 Duckett Ave. For more information, visit www.lawrencebgc.com.
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