Leadership Oak Ridge Class of 2016 (Submitted photo)
For 30 years, Leadership Oak Ridge has been informing, training, and empowering leaders in Oak Ridge and the region. With more than 1,000 graduates, Leadership Oak Ridge is one of the longest continuously running leadership programs in the United States.
Each year, a Leadership Oak Ridge class takes on a project aimed at benefiting the Oak Ridge community. This year’s class will lead and implement a plan to renovate a vital part of the Boys & Girls Club in Oak Ridge.
The Boys & Girls Club provides an opportunity for youth to engage in programs and activities to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
“The Boys & Girls Club is a well-known and vital part of the Oak Ridge community, and like all programs of this type, it relies heavily on volunteer support and donations to maintain the quality and relevance of the services it delivers,” said Dennis Yates, of Centrus Energy and Leadership Oak Ridge Class of 2016.
After several months of planning and fundraising, Leadership Oak Ridge will begin work on the renovation of the Boys & Girls Club teen room facility. The physical renovation will take one week and will involve a basic remodel of the existing space to create an open and welcoming atmosphere. Leadership Oak Ridge will also equip the facility with new games tables, as well as flat screen televisions and other digital media such as game consoles and computers. An update to the facilities furniture will also be provided to make the space more comfortable and inviting.
“We are very excited to provide a welcoming and safe place for kids to blow off some steam, interact with friends, and maybe get some homework done,” said Marc DeRose of Explore Oak Ridge and Leadership Class of 2016. “Our goal is to provide a space that Boys & Girls Club members can be proud of.”
The Leadership team has raised close to $12,000 for the project as well as received in-kind donations from local contractors and service providers to help with construction and materials.
“The Oak Ridge community and local businesses have been extremely generous, and we know it will make an impact for each of these kids,” said Aaron Myers of IIa and Leadership Class of 2016.
Construction is scheduled for completion on July 31.
A “Reveal” reception will take place on August 1 at 4 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club in Oak Ridge. The “Reveal” will allow the community to tour the new facility.
“Our Leadership Class wanted to leave an indelible mark of improvement on the Oak Ridge community,” said leadership team member and State Farm Insurance Owner-Agent Stephanie Hale-Smith. “The needs at the Boys & Girls Club for a remodeled space that created a fresh,welcoming, aesthetically pleasing, technology equipped, and safe environment for the middle and high school teens to have ‘Fun with a Purpose’ is how we’ve chosen to leave our mark.”
Leadership Oak Ridge is a nonprofit organization and is accepting donations for this project. One hundred percent of donation proceeds will go into the construction and equipment needed for this important project. If you would like to donate, contact Adam Wilson at awilson@bgccv.org.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/LeadershipOR2016/.
Teen room at the Boys & Girls Club prior to Leadership Oak Ridge
renovation project. (Submitted photo)
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