This week, we had the pleasure of hearing Alexandra Laurent, our April Artisan of the Month from BAVTS, talk about her future plans to pursue a career in the arts. She was accepted into the Pennsylvania College of Arts & Design but has not made her final decision. It was quite serendipitous that the art mural chosen by our Club for the Centennial Park Project was designed by Alexandria. With her talent and motivation, there is no doubt she has an extremely bright future.
In the spirit of transparency, Gerry Long invited Gary Martell, Chief Professional Officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem to share an update on how the funds donated from Taste & Tunes were used to help fulfill the Club’s mission of helping young people reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible individuals. Gary acknowledged the hard work of our Club and honorary chair, Andy Scott. Gary shared some basic information about the 87 year old Club noting that they operate out of two locations – one in Marvine Village and the other on 4th Street in the Southside of Bethlehem. Some of the key programs offered to Bethlehem children between the ages of 6 and 18 include:
Project Learn reinforces and enhances the skills and knowledge young people learn at school through “high-yield” learning activities with tutors at the Club. The goals of this program are for students to read at grade level, to get promoted into next grade, and to graduate on time. A portion of the donated Rotary funds were used to purchase 14 new computers for the Club’s computer room and to upgrade existing computers so the kids have access to them for their homework and tutoring.
The Smart Moves Program addresses the problems of drug and alcohol use, which has a significant impact on family life. He noted that 76% of children served by the Club come from single parent homes because of problems caused by drug and alcohol abuse.
The Gang Prevention Program focused on keeping youth from getting involved in gang life that is prevalent in Bethlehem.
The Triple Play Program teaches kids about good nutrition and physical fitness.
The Music Program is a new program provided by a retired music teacher and has become very popular with the kids.
Gary estimates that the Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem has been able to increase the number of kids served by 65-75 percent as a result of the funds received from Taste & Tunes. It was heartwarming to hear that our Club’s hard work is making a difference in the lives of these impressionable young people.
Announcements from the Podium
Ron Madison announced our annual Membership Night at the Iron Pigs is being held on Monday, May 8th at Coca-Cola Park in the TD Bank Suite. The TD Suite, as well as the food, have been donated to our Club thanks to efforts made by Steve Kalamar. THANK YOU STEVE! Our job is to invite potential members to join us for a fun evening at the ballgame! Please contact Bill Royer to reserve tickets for you and your guest(s) at wroyer@transitiongroup.net.
A thank you note from Alison Zavatone from the Junior League of the Lehigh Valley was shared with the Club. The grant made by our Bethlehem Foundation was used to deliver 500 bags of food for pre-K students at Marvine Elementary School through their Backpack Pals Program.
Our Club received an invitation to attend an open house at Northeast Ministries on Sunday, April 30 from 1-3 pm to showcase recent renovations that have been made to their facilities at 1161 Fritz Drive in Bethlehem.
Don’t miss out on the fun! Our next Rotary Mini is being held on Thursday, April 27 at Taps Tavern starting at 5:30 pm.
Our Rotary Charity Golf Tournament, chaired by Rob Littner and George Kurtz is coming up on May 15th. Please send any registrations and sponsorships to Rob and/George ASAP.
During next week’s meeting, Lisa Wolf from the Center for Humanistic Change will be talking about our local heroin epidemic. You won’t want to miss this informative presentation.
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will speak at this year’s Rotary International Convention June 10-14 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The convention is expected to attract 40,000 Rotary club members from over 160 countries, and inject an estimated $52.3 million into Atlanta’s economy.