Boys and Girls Club of Dane County President and CEO Michael Johnson can’t believe they will already be hosting the 8th Annual Hearts for Helping Wine & Cheese Event tonight at the Concourse Hotel in downtown Madison.
“Yeah. Time flies. This will be number eight. The very first one that they held was my first day on the job,” Johnson tells Madison365. “It has definitely grown over the years. It went from a $30,000 fundraiser with about 300 people to us hopefully raising $250,000 on Friday night with about 500-600 people.”
The Boys & Girls Club of Dane County provides at-risk youth with the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe, fun and nurturing environment six days a week. Club members participate in educational activities, creative & performing arts, college preparatory programming, and sports and recreation. In addition those services, each member is served a nutritious meal every day.
Every year, the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County (BGCDC) asks the community to celebrate, collaborate, and renew its partnership with BGCDC to ensure its young people will have the opportunity for a successful future. This year, Hearts for Helping will have a casino theme to it where eventgoers can play roulette, blackjack, poker, and more.
“We’re going to announce our Youth of the Year winner at the event and that young person will get a scholarship,” Johnson says. “We’re also going to award a scholarship to another young person from Summit Credit Union, so Lisa Peyton-Caire will be there presenting a check to some lucky young person.”
Johnson says that they will have some great silent auction items at the event including a jersey from NBA start Kevin Durant and a signed football helmet from former Wisconsin Badgers star and current NFL star J.J. Watt. “There will be chocolate, food, wine, and of course we have Kinfolk providing the music,” Johnson says. “It’s going to be a phenomenal event.”
“What I’ve heard from people is that it is one of the best non-profit fundraising events in the county,” Johnson adds. “It’s not a sit-down dinner. You’re standing, you’re networking, you’re listening to music, you’re dancing. It’s really a party. People are having a fun.”
And it all supports Boys and Girls Club of Dane County’s mission to be the leader in youth development programs by developing partnerships to produce positive outcomes for young people, families and communities. With generous support from volunteers and donors, and through partnerships with local businesses, foundations and community programs, the Club is able to touch the lives of nearly 5,500 young people.
“In terms of impact, we’ve had a great year. We did serve over 5,500 kids this year and we had a great graduation rate. We have 340-something kids that are in 51 colleges and universities across the United States,” Johnson says. “We’ve had over 40,000 meals served to our kids at our Boys and Girls Clubs. It’s been a terrific year. Over the next three years, we’re actually planning some exciting growth strategies that will impact a lot of young people’s lives in this community. I’m excited about that.”
The money raised at tonight’s annual Hearts for Helping event will help cover the costs for the Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp Programs. “We serve hundreds and hundreds of kids during the summer,” Johnson says. “Our Summer Camp is our largest expense. It costs the Boys and Girls Club about $250,000 to put on a quality Summer Camp Program. So, the funds we raise at the Hearts for Helping event allows kids who typically can’t afford to participate in our camps and to go on our field trips and to do all of the great things we do in the summer.”
