As the very first event hosted in the brand new Sutton-Hooker Unit Gymnasium, Polk County’s Annual Dinner Banquet—now in it’s 11th year—featured a children’s choir singing Christmas songs, beautifully decorated Christmas trees, Youth of the Year speeches, and a record-breaking live auction that treated the crowd to several bidding wars.
In addressing the crowd, Holly Stroud, former Sutton-Hooker Unit Director and now our Central region Director of Operations, honored the history of the Club movement in Polk County.
“A little over 14 years ago,” said Stroud, “a wonderful woman Cindy Hooker knew that Polk County needed an after-school program and was going to do whatever it took to make it happen.”
Hooker started the Benton-based club in a small church not far from the current club location. The Ocoee Youth Center alliance was formed, the club became part of what is now known as Boys & Girls Clubs of the Ocoee Region (BGCOR), and in 2014 the Sutton-Hooker Unit building was built. Since that time, the unit has been at max capacity with a waitlist, and now has more than 250 youth enrolled and an average daily attendance (ADA) of 110. Now that the gymnasium and teen center are open, the plan is to grow to 150 ADA by Christmas and hopefully adding even more by summer 2023.
Stroud also talked about accomplishing another dream for Polk County: opening a unit “above the mountain” in Copper Basin.
“We’ve partnered up with Copper Basin Elementary and have a club running there, said Stroud. “We currently have 35 members enrolled, we are averaging 22 youth a day, and already have a waitlist! The youth in Copper Basin now have another place to call their own and a place to feel safe and have fun.”
And that’s really the heart of the Club movement throughout the Ocoee Region. Our Clubs strive to offer safe and encouraging places to go during out of school time to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as Caring, Productive, Responsible citizens. As Stroud says, “Our main goal is the break the mold, to show these kids they can achieve their dreams and even inspire them to dream bigger.”
Nowhere is this mission and vision more evident than in the lives of our Youth of the Year students and candidates.
When it was his turn to the speak, Michael “Hunter” Qualls, a 16-year-old Junior at Polk County High School told those in attendance that he has been attending the Sutton-Hooker Unit for over 11 years.
“The Club has helped me in so many ways,” said Qualls. “It has helped me build friendships, learn how to be considerate and passionate, and helped me to become more resilient by overcoming my circumstances.”
Qualls still recalls his first day at the Club, when he was just six years old.
“I was a nervous, shy, awkward boy who did not have a lot of support from home,” he recalled. “I did not know how to make friends, be confident, or even have fun. I remember walking into the Club and the staff welcoming me, giving me food, helping me with homework, and best of all helping me make friends. I even remember doing my first program. We were doing a steam project, and they told us we had to work in groups. I panicked, thinking no one would want to work with me. But with a push from the staff, I was partnered up with a boy named Tanner. From that day on, Tanner and I have been best friends.”
Qualls credited the Club with never giving up on him, pushing him to never give up on a dream, and teaching him to work hard and not make excuses for himself. The results speak for themselves.
“Because of the club,” said Qualls, “I am an A/B student, play on the high school varsity football team, and I plan to go to college and be a physical therapist someday.”
Aaliah Adams, a sophomore at Polk County High school, shared a similar story, having been a member of BGCOR’s Sutton-Hooker Unit for a little over 10 years.
“I have gone through hardship after hardship, down curvy road after curvy road,” said Adams. “But through it all—with the help of my family and friends at the Club—I am able to stand in front of you today as a confident young woman. Before I started attending the Club, I had been through so much in my life that caused me to be anti-social and have low self-esteem. I faced so much rejection that I was scared to love and care. The Club brought me out of my shell and gave me self-confidence. They were so welcoming and accepting, I was able to talk through my issues and deal with them while also supporting other peers through their issues.”
She continued, “I have felt pain and overcome it. Pain is a part of life, and what you do with it is what makes you who you are. Because of the Club, I have learned to use my pain to make a difference and grow. This is why I plan to someday work at the Club and give back what has been given to me all these years. There are other youth who need to overcome pain and I believe with the right help and guidance they can.”
In addition to moving speeches from Qualls and Adams, a children’s choir from the Sutton-Hooker Unit entertained the crowd with Christmas carols. Later in the evening, Stroud and Sutton-Hooker Unit Director, Amanda Gentry, gave out staff awards, and the Ocoee Youth Center board recognized two of their own. Our new teen center was named after Elaina Phillips, a board member who passed away unexpectedly in 2020. Al Pierce was also honored, who’s expert help and guidance as both an engineer and project manager made the new gymnasium possible. In the future, the gym will feature a “Hero Wall” in honor of Pierce, whose photo will be the first to go on the wall.
This year’s banquet also featured a first: auctioning off decorated Christmas trees, the brain-child of OYC president, Kelley Morgan.
“I was really nervous,” confessed Morgan. “I hoped they would sell, but it’s always hard to know for sure how a crowd will respond.” And sell they did, raising a record amount during the banquets live auction. Several trees were even part of a true bidding war! All in all, the event was a tremendous success. The food was great, the atmosphere was festive, the entertainment was joyous, and a lot of money was raised for the clubs in Polk County.
