News

Boys & Girls Club inducts seven into Founders Circle

Assistant Executive Director Julia Hockenberry leads club members TJ Rudisill and Kobey Rudisill to the stage.

By Emily Stanley, Published: June 16, 2015

The halls of the Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County vibrated with laughter, creativity and joy on Saturday night.

Classrooms had been transformed into lively bars and decorated with excellent student art to admire. It was a night for celebration, and in line with the event’s theme of “Choose to See the Good Things,” the Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County had plenty to celebrate.
They celebrated the club’s accomplishments and its mission, “To inspire and enable young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.” The evening culminated in the induction of seven corporate sponsors into the Founders Circle, a Hall of Fame for those who play key roles in encouraging and maintaining the Boys and Girls Club.
Five high school juniors and seniors shared moving stories of how the organization has impacted their lives. “They are not here for the numbers tonight,”   Assistant Executive Director Julia Hockenberry said. “They are here to tell their stories in their very own language, and that is the language of joy. It is the language of play and resilience, the language of generosity, creativity, gratitude, and unconditional love. And that, my friends, is also the language of this Boys and Girls Club.”
The young people then helped present plaques to the seven 2015 Founders Circle inductees, who were announced by Board President-elect Paige Boyd. “Our past has built our present,” she began, “and it has provided us with a very promising future. Tonight, we pay tribute to a few of those who have helped us come this far, and who will boost us into the years to come.”
The inductees in the 2015 Class of Founders Circle were:
• First Citizens Bank, which Boyd praised for contributing board members and offering facilities for meetings and programs, on top of financial support.
• Morrow Insurance, which Boyd called “a powerhouse supporter of good causes throughout our community.”
• NHM Constructors, which she said has “never lost sight of their core values: honesty, hard work, humbleness without fanfare, and giving back to the community,” despite extreme growth and success.
• Hunter Automotive Group, which has “broken the mold in support for our Boys and Girls Club.”
• 5th Avenue Travel, whose owner, state Sen. Tom Apodaca, “has been a powerful advocate for the work done here at our club and across the state of North Carolina at the other clubs as well.”
• Triangle Stop and J.H. Reaben Oil, which “proves that being nice, kind and generous is not anathema to being successful.”
• Champion Hills, which “more than a company (is) a community that became an engine, powering some of the club’s most critical growth and success in its first years.”
Club founders Tom and Sue Fazio concluded the event.
Tom Fazio spoke about his involvement with the national Boys and Girls Club organization, emphasizing the extraordinary success of the Henderson County chapter.
“Everyone knows Hendersonville, North Carolina,” he said, “It’s a model for all clubs.”