A Letter from the CEO...
In January, we celebrated my four-year anniversary as CEO of our Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal. Reflecting on the last four years, our Club has celebrated tremendous growth and exciting accomplishments. This growth and accomplishments have not come without obstacles, and we are all well aware that this past year has presented more than it's fair share. Through this adversity, we have the ability to choose to let it stagnate progress, or we can use these obstacles as valuable lessons that will help us grow.
As we close the 2020 chapter of our story, my team and I have made the decision to embrace these obstacles, using them as a catalyst for growth.
The strategic vision for the future of the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal is great. If 2020 has taught us anything, it has taught us that NOW is the time we must take action. Now is the time that we must take the next step in our pursuit towards this vision for our community. We can no longer wait and see what happens next. We cannot wait to see what the long-term impact will result from this global pandemic. We cannot stand silent, wait for unfair and discriminatory prejudices to be resolved. We cannot continue to hate those who have different ideologies and philosophies. We witness the impact of these things every single day. We must be united and collaborate, so that our community continues to support the diversity that makes Bloomington-Normal great.
The goals and dreams of the future leaders of our community are in great jeopardy today. And the longer we sit idly waiting, the greater the impact this will make in their pursuit towards excellence. Our Boys & Girls Club team is committed to doing whatever it takes to help our future leaders build the confidence and determination that they, too, can accomplish their dreams; that they, too, will one day be a productive, caring, responsibility citizen. As leaders, they will continue to keep our community one of the happiest places in our Nation.
I am honored and humbled to be part of an organization that has grown so much over the past 29 years. And I am blessed to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with our entire community to advocate for the future of the youth throughout our Country. Our Boys & Girls Club family is great. And together, our dreams will become a reality!
We look forward to having you join our BGCBN family in writing the next chapter of our story! Here is to 2021! A year of growth!
Thank you.
I CARE! We Care,
Tony Morstatter, CEO
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If you listen to Great Plains Media, Magic 99.5 on Friday mornings, you may have heard Teen Talk with Kimberly. A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure to do this radio segment. For those of you who know me, you know that this is definitely not my thing. I do not like being out there. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Club and once you get me talking about it, you really can’t get me to stop. Broadcasting to thousands of people is way out of my comfort zone.
When I was invited to be on air the second time in one month, let’s just say, I was less than thrilled. But then, inspirations struck – Teen Talk, teens, I live with a teen. And so Teen Talk with Kimberly became Teen Talk with Aaron.
Aaron has not only been a Club member for the last 7 years, he is also my nephew. Since he lives with us, the Club has been just as much a part of his life as it has been mine. It has been amazing to be able to have my children belong to the Club. I get to share both of my worlds – it does pose some challenges, but the benefits are far greater. This experience was one of a kind.
At dinner, I mentioned the radio show, and Aaron volunteered to do it with me. A strange thing happened, he became so excited. He started wondering what he was going to talk about, asked if he could mention his YouTube Channel (like and subscribe today), and even asked what he should wear.
It was so awesome to see him so excited about something again. This time has been hard for all of us, especially our kids, and seeing him smiling, out of the house, doing something new was refreshing. The morning of the interview, he had to get up early to get ready. He was nervous on the drive across town, continuing to ask questions.
When we arrived, Big Mike greeted us and showed us into the station. During breaks, he talked to Aaron, creating a space everyone felt comfortable in. They discussed what they were going to talk about – school, sports, of course, his YouTube channel, and the Club. Mike even explained the equipment and gave some insight into radio. On air, the time passed quickly, and then we were done.
It was a success, and Big Mike agreed to have more kids from the Club on air in the future.
This experience was an amazing opportunity for Aaron, as well as a chance for the Club to introduce the community to our youth. Thank you, Big Mike, and our friends at Great Plains Media for allowing me to spend bonus time with family during the work day while offering us both a great opportunity to share our passions.
How can you, your organization, service group or club get involved in the Club. Discover today how you can share your talents with our youth. Contact me jhall@bgcbn.org or call 309-829-3034 x109. Let’s work towards building great futures together.
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We were blessed this year to find an amazing volunteer, Tom Powers. I remember how persistent he was in connecting with us through the most difficult time of the pandemic. I wasn’t sure quite what to do with him, so I asked him to work on developing a video for our Virtual Club Experience. What he created was a work of art. When you get the opportunity, please check it out by clicking on the above photo – it is well worth it!
That was just the start of all the remarkable things he has brought to the Club. I asked him to help me with this article. I literally texted “would you be interested in writing a short article about your volunteer experience?” This is what he provided:
"This has been a year like no other. Amidst racial upheaval, economic collapse, political turmoil, repeated surges of a deadly disease, and shutdowns of our children’s schools, The Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal has been there to offer stability and hope to our members and their families." ~ Tom Powers
Our leadership, staff, and volunteers have kept our kids engaged and safe during these difficult times. Above all, we have followed our mission “to empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” As a result, BGCBN is not only a safe playground, but also a support system for our youth, teens and families.
We are doing our best to provide a physical space, emotional support, virtual program options to our members. We are fortunate to live in a community which has worked together to support our youth. This unprecedented time has allowed us to lean on each other when we are weak and help hold each other up when we are strong.
Our members benefitted from the outpouring of love from our friends which has allowed us to keep doing what we do best. Youth have enjoyed expanding their natural creativity with arts and crafts projects. Teens engage in group discussions on issues ranging from building self-esteem, taking responsibility for their actions, and appreciating differences in each other. They are encouraged to engage with one another in respectful discourse.
Tom then goes on to say:
"I am grateful to the leaders of BGCBN for allowing me to serve as a volunteer. Over the past year I have enjoyed building YouTube videos for our Virtual Club Experience, as well as assisting staff with grade school, junior high, and high school members. I have come to appreciate the goodness and often remarkable maturity of these children. I find myself often thinking about new activities to suggest to our leadership to help these young people successfully navigate their way in an unpredictable and rapidly changing world. As a 70-year-old retiree, I never expected to find myself surrounded by young people who treat me with kindness and respect and seem to appreciate the little help I have to offer. Thank you, Boys and Girls Club!" ~ Tom Powers
Tom, it is we who are grateful to you. Thank you!
To learn how to volunteer at the Club go to www.bgcbn.org/volunteer.
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The Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal and Children’s Discovery Museum have once again joined forces to provide STEAM Powered Play to the youth who attend the afterschool program at 1615 Illinois Street in Bloomington. This year’s program is partially funded by the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation from the Ives Family Foundation for Youth Endowment. This grant opportunity allows BGCBN and CDM to provide a positive learning experience focused on STEAM related content which reinforces learning goals related to NGSS and Common Core standards.
The relationship between the two organizations began with a shared mission to provide impactful programming to youth in our community. It has flourished over the years providing over five years of quality programming to hundreds of members at the Club.
This year has posed many challenges for our world, our country and our community. Working together, our two like-minded organizations persevered during a most difficult time. Not only does the partnership provide STEAM Powered Play to Club members, we also worked together to provide at home activities for youth which they distributed throughout the pandemic. This is more than a collaboration; this is a positive relationship between two organizations working together to fill a need.
Members at the Club will participate in what the Club refers to as their Impact Volunteer Program. This program is designed so that both Club members and community partners, like the CDM, and members can engage in collaborative learning in one of the Boys & Girls Club Pillars: Education & STEM, Healthy Lifestyles, Good Character, Citizenship & Service Learning, Teen Service & Career Exploration, Arts & Culture.
The goal of this program structure is to create situations where meaningful connections can be made between the community and the members who participate. In addition, the programs design provides for higher quality instruction by bringing in subject matter experts to enhance the members' learning.
The CDM will focus on the area of Education & STEM. They will design and create three four-week long sessions which will explore different aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Thoughts and ideas expressed through this program include teamwork, problem-solving, careers, topics of study, and practical applications.
We are grateful to our friends, ILPCF, and CDM for allowing us the opportunity to provide activities that will spur creativity, imagination, problem-solving, and teamwork to better prepare our kids for a great future.
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Our 2020 Be Great Breakfast was a great success! We raised over $200,000, meeting our goal! With 613 donors, 44 sponsors, 61 table captains, and 4 corporate hosts, we are thankful to everyone who spoke, attended, and gifted to the club.
Our kids are so blessed to have such amazing support from our community leaders!
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SAVE THE DATE
December 1, 2021
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The Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal was established in 1992, hence the name Club ‘92. This prestigious club is for donors who want to contribute monthly recurring gifts online or through our Resource Development office to benefit kids' lives at the club. |
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Our Current club 92 Members |
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Al & Barbara Nathan
Andrew L Finks
Annetta Marie Blair
Anthony Rozanski
Aondover Tarhule
Ashley Walter
Austin James Myers
Barry & Lisa Reilly
Ben Matthews
Beth Whisman
Betsy Myers
Bill Nurczyk
Bill & Jan Lawrence
Blake & Jeseka Mier
Brandy Finney
Brian & Sarah Day
Briana Turcotte
Camille R. Taylor
Cheryl Magnuson
Chris Deering
Christopher Clemens
Colin & Cheryl Logue
Cory Hartke
Dale & Laura Avery
Danielle Miller-Schuster & Andrew Schuster
Darren & Angela Brant
Dave & Cathy Oloffson
David Duffey & Sandra Rose
Deb King Ochs
Dean Carr
Deborah Boston
Delayne & Lori Stickling
Dodie & Jaci Dunson
DesaRae & Brian Ludolph
Donna Boelen
Douglas & Teresa Minter
Edmund & Rebecca Miller
Evelyn Rose Young
Griffin Design - Tracy Feger
Jay & Jane Rich
Jay & Pamela Reece
Jeff & Melinda Leverton
Jeffrey Page & Family
Jennifer Hall
Jennifer Meiss
Jeremy & Krista DeHaai
Jerry & Carol Ringer
Jessica McDermott
Jo-Anna Ramsay
Joel Ramseyer
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John Burkhart
Jon & Tracy Farney
Jonathen & Edith Voegele
Karen Schmidt & John Elterrich
Kathie & Alan Chapman
Kathleen Boudeman-Nicholas and Mark Nicholas
Katie Fudge & Brett Matthews
Katie Grojean
Keith & Falicia Cornille
Kelvin Schill
Kenneth Tolson
Kimberly Wright
Kris Kline
Krupal Swami
Leah Daigle
Levi Bauer
Lintfighters of Central IL LLC - Tom & Jamie Sennett
Mark & Holly Houska
Matt Miller
Matt Riehle
Matthew & Stacy Spurgin
Mercedes & William Davison
Michael & Rachael Mosley
Michelle Ashendorf
Mike Flaherty
Mike O' Grady
Neil Alcorn
Neil M Gridley
Numan & Atifa Ahmed
Pam Deaton - HealthMarkets Insurance
Paul S. Hursey, Jr.
Reid Butts
Rex & Valerie Schaeffer
Ronald Greene
Ross & Amber Amend
Sayed Abbed
Scott & Molly Davis
Shelleigh & Kevin Birlingmair
Sonya Stremming
Sports Group Illinois LLC - Dr. Omar Khokhar
Steve & Sue Seibring
Steven & Erin Kennedy
Terri Cannon
Terry & Dele Ogunleye
Terry and Sarah Gliege
Tony & Steph Morstatter
Travis & Kate Williams
Wade & Jeanne Koehler
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TAKE ACTION. BECOME A MEMBER TODAY! |
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It’s easy and worth it! Membership is granted to any donor who pledges to any MONTHLY gift amount.
Contact Kimberly Wright, Development Director, to set up your recurring gift or visit our website at the link below!
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2021 GREAT FUTURES ANNUAL APPEAL |
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Our 2021 Great Futures Annual Appeal will run from April 1st through June 30th. We are looking for GREAT community advocates that would like to help us bring people and support to the club this year! Would you like to get more involved, or do you know anyone who would like to get more involved? Would you like to host an event for our annual appeal? Reach out to our Development Director, Kimberly Wright at kwright@bgcbn.org for more information.
To give a gift to our Club or pledge your support, please
Would you like to be an Advocate for our club?
Please reach out to our Development Director, Kimberly Wright, at kwright@bgcbn.org or 309-829-3034
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SAVE THE DATE
June 12, 2021
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Mark your calendar for June 12, 2021 for our second annual Over The Edge event in partnership with the
We are looking for TEAMS of 4-5 people, individuals, partners and more! Only 20 spots left!
Get your team together now and we will see you #OnTheRoof!
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SAVE THE DATE
June 18, 2021
Ironwood Golf Course
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Registration & sponsorship opportunities coming soon! Please check back on our website for registration information coming soon! |
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DOUBLE YOUR DONATION
Does your employer have a matching gift program?
If so, you can double your gift to the club!
Check with your employer TODAY!
Some companies that match gifts include:
State Farm, Bank of America, Verizon, Home Depot and more!
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WORKPLACE GRANTS
Does your employer provide grants to non-profits in exchange for your volunteer service?
If so, your employer can provide a financial gift to the club!
Check with your employer TODAY!
Some companies that offer volunteer grants include:
State Farm, COUNTRY Financial, Walmart, Sam's Club, Best Buy, Kohl's and more!
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DONATE THROUGH PAYROLL
Does your employer have a workplace giving opportunity through payroll?
If so, you can gift to the club PRE-TAX!
Check with your employer TODAY!
Some companies that have a workplace giving program include:
State Farm, AFNI, FedEx, UPS and more!
Don't have a workplace giving program?
Click HERE to do donate through the Club's recurring gift program!
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Do you shop on Amazon? If so, Amazon will donate .5% of EVERY Amazon purchase you make to the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal! Just log in to your amazon account and visit our organization link: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/37-1308723 to select the club as your charity of choice. Thank you!
#EveryDollarCounts
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Would you please invite us to come and share our mission? |
We would love to share our mission with your company, group, or organization.
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Upcoming Events:
April 1 - June 30, 2021: Great Futures Annual Appeal
June 12, 2021: Over The Edge Bloomington-Normal
June 18, 2021: 19th Annual Golf Outing
December 1, 2021: Be Great Breakfast
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