The children of the Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont will take center stage at the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser and showcase of the year, March Madness, in less than two weeks.
“The children are the highlight of the evening,” said Chiquita Miller, chief executive officer of the club. “It’s not just for the attendants. It’s for the children as well. They get a joy out of meeting people that care about them.”
The event, which is March 2 at the Statesville Civic Center, will feature singing and dancing from the children the organization serves, while also providing an entertaining atmosphere with a live auction and dinner.
This is March Madness’ fourth year. The amount of money raised has increased each time, from $32,000 in 2009 to $52,000 in 2010 to $64,000 last year. The fundraiser accounted for more than 10 percent of the nonprofit’s budget in 2011.
“We just can’t imagine what we would do if we didn’t have (March Madness),” Miller said. “There would be a gap in the needs of our community.”
Tickets are $50 and will be available at the door. The affair begins at 6:30 p.m. and will last until about 9 p.m. Around 300 people attended last year.
Testimonials from two parents who have children attending the club after school are part of the program. They will speak about how much the organization has meant in their kids’ lives.
“When you’re here at 2:30 and the buses roll up, it’s very obvious why we’re important,” said Julia Wilson, chairperson for the fundraiser. “Otherwise these kids wouldn’t have anywhere to go.”
The live auction at March Madness will have 25 items up for grabs. They vary greatly, from a golf cart to a gourmet dinner cooked in-home by Michael Spencer, chef of Jeffrey’s Restaurant in Mooresville, to a weekend visit at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. Also included are a Kindle Fire and a wine and floral design party at Johnson’s Greenhouses, among many others.
“(Our sponsors) are very generous and very excited to be a part of the club,” Wilson said. “This is one more way they can be connected.”
The money from March Madness supplements many different programs at the club. One of the first things the organization did last year after the fundraiser was allocate funds toward 25 new computers for the kids to use after school for homework and other activities.
The club offers programs in five different areas: character and leadership, educational and career development, health and life skills, arts and sports recreation and fitness. The approximately 125 kids at the club cycle through different classes and groups throughout the afternoons they are there.
Wilson said she hopes people will come out to support the children and the hard work each one puts in.
“It’s a learning experience in addition to singing and dancing,” Wilson said. “It’s a lot to ask a kid to get in front of a big group of people.”
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