Archive for April, 2011

Delijah Eckles, the 2011 Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia’s Jeffrey E. Smith Youth of the Year, traveled to Jefferson City April 5th and 6th to compete against other community Youth of the Year winners to represent the State of Missouri at the Regional Youth of the Year competition. He had the opportunity to meet and take pictures with state legislators as well as Governor Nixon, and he also ate lunch at the Governor’s Mansion.

Delijah is a senior at Hickman High School where he completed all of his high school credits prior to starting his senior year. He is a member of the Minority Achievers Committee, a group that participates in college tours and community service projects. He is a member of the varsity basketball team and mentors other students in math and engineering.

Delijah has been a member of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia for four years, where he is serving as the Keystoone President and previously servied as the Torch Club President. He has participated in the Regional Keystone Conference and the Midwest Leadership Conference. He has also been employed as a Boys & Girls Club Junior Stsff in the summer.

In the community, Delijah as devoted time to “Stream Clean”, which helps to clean up local parks and has been involved in the “Bike, Walk, and Wheel Marathon”. He has volunteered the last three summers at the Veteran’s Hospital, where he has helped nurses, cleaned wheelchairs, and assisted in the IT department. Delijah is currently enrolled at Drury University in Springfield where he will study Architecture and Interior Design.

“It felt really good to be recognized for my hard work,” Delijah said. “I really wish I would have won, but it was honor just to be nominated.”

Congratulations to Delijah Eckles, the 2011 Boys & Girls Club’s Jeffrey E. Smith Youth of the Year!

From March 21-25, 2011, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia participated in National Boys & Girls Club Week. National Boys & Girls Club week is a time when thousands of Boys & GIrls Clubs across the country celebrate serving the youth of America and kids participate in fun activities at the Clubhouse. Some of the activities at The Boys & Girls Club of Columbia included an egg and 3-legged race, creating bracelets and picture frames, shirt painting, decorating cookies, and making ice cream and music videos. All the kids had a great time playing outside and enjoying the warm weather. Approximately 60 volunteers helped out during the week and got to see what The Boys & Girls Club is all about. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia would like to thank the Boone Hospital physicians for helping to make National Boys & Girls Club Week so successful.

2011 MFA Oil Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili Cook-off presented by MBS Textbook Exchange

This year’s chili cook-off was a huge success!  There were over 60 booths and 48 teams participated in the fun.  Over $60,000 was raised for The Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia.  Congratulations to the winners:

Grand Chili Champions: 1st Place - Mediacom, 2nd Place – Columbia Police Department, 3rd Place – Columbia Credit Union
People’s Choice Award: 1st Place – Mediacom, 2nd Place – Missouri Army National Guard, 3rd Place – CORE 20
Biggest Bowl Award: 1st CORE20, 2nd JES Holdings, 3rd Columbia Credit Union
Best Booth Award: 1st Place – CORE 20, 2nd Place – Columbia Credit Union, 3rd Place – JES Holdings
Best Costume Award: 1st Place – CORE 20, 2nd Place – JES Holdings and Columbia Credit Union
Best Showmanship Award: 1st Place – CORE 20, 2nd Place – Columbia Credit Union and JES Holdings

Graduate To Go is a long-term effort to raise awareness of the high-school dropout crisis and encourages teens to get their diploma. Taco Bell customers are invited to donate $1 to help teens graduate. Customers can also donate online at www.graduatetogo.com. Taco Bell restaurants have committed to match customer donations up to $1 million, nationwide. The Graduate To Go fundraiser will be held April 7-21.

Actor/Producer Mark Wahlberg serves as the Graduate To Go ambassador for the second consecutive year, joining the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens to promote the importance of staying in school and securing a diploma.

The Boys and Girls Club of the Columbia Area has been selected by the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens to receive a Graduate to Go College Experience Grant. The $5,920 grant will enable members of the Boys and girls Clubs of the Columbia Area Teen Center to participate in the Road to Success program. Road to Success is designed to give teens the opportunity to take tours of the University of Missouri, Moberly Community College, Columbia Career Center, and Linn Tech. Teens will also be taught how to properly fill out college applications, scholarship and financial aid applications, and about ACT Prep classes and tests.