The Award Goes to...

And the award goes to…

On Tuesday this past week, the Montrose Daily Press announced the winners of the 2019 Best of the Valley Reader’s Choice Awards. Imagine my surprise and delight when I learned the Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club (BCBGC) was the recipient of the Best Non-Profit! I will tell you my day was made. The BCBGC has been part of the community for 20 years this year, and I could not have asked for a better birthday present for the Club than to be recognized in this way. With all that we have going on with our school session just starting, our capital campaign in process, and planning beginning for the 5^th Annual Crab Crack fundraiser, it was nice to take a step back and know the Club is being recognized for its hard work. There are a lot of terrific, hardworking non-profits in town so to be recognized out of all those who were nominated is pretty amazing. Thank you to everyone who voted for the BCBGC. We will continue to work hard to serve our community’s youth into the future and will work to keep our new title in the years to come.

Receiving this award made me think of another award the BCBGC has received two years in a row from the Boys & Girls Club of America, the EAGLES Award. This award is given to those Clubs whose Board of Directors who have met a high level of the following metrics: board meeting attendance; active engagement in outward fundraising; given a personal financial gift to the Club; lead the organization in achieving strategy initiatives; completed an individual Board Director self-evaluation based on a personal development plan; and actively served on committees or task force organization meetings outside the normal Board meetings. I am lucky to have such a stellar Board of Directors. I will say they are very deserving to receive this award. They help plan, set up, clean up, and sponsor Club fundraisers. They volunteer at local community events to spread the word on Club. They are a key element to the capital campaign. They are a constant support to me and advocate for the Club. I could go on and on but I have a word limit so I will refrain. Thank you again to my wonderful Board of Directors; the Club would not have achieved what is has recently without every one of you. And, in case you were wondering who is on the Board so you can personally give them a pat on the back for a job well done, keep an eye out for these folks: President Sherry Kammerer; Vice-President Mile Webber; Secretary David Mize; Director Kevin Johnson; Director Brad Oberto; Director Tom Kearney; and Director Bart Larmouth. These folks are helping to make great futures start here.

Bud Taylor is the Executive Director of the Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club (BCBGC) and has been for the past three years. Prior to that he was a Club kid, Junior Staff Member, and Board Director of the BCBGC. For more information on the Club, please visit www.bcbgc.org.