Youth of the Year, 2020!

Three Boys & Girls Club Teens Compete for 2020 Ocoee Region Youth of the Year Title

Cleveland, TN – On Monday, February 24, three outstanding local youth from Boys & Girls Clubs of the Ocoee Region (BGCOR) will compete to be named the 2020 Ocoee Region Youth of the Year. Guests will have the opportunity to hear their inspiring stories after a catered dinner, which will take place at 6pm at the BGCOR Tucker Unit, located at 385 3rd Street SW in Cleveland.

Youth of the Year is a national program from Boys & Girls Clubs of America that begins with a local level title. It’s a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle.

This year, each contestant will be awarded scholarships made possible by the generosity of our donors and Board Members.

The 2020 Ocoee Region Youth of the Year candidates are Jaiden Dalton and Logan Thompson from our Johnson Teen Center, and Tanner Lanter from our Madisonville Teen Center.

Tanner has been a Club member for eight years. A Freshman at Sequoyah High School, Tanner was born to drug addicted parents.

“Because of my parent’s lifestyles, I had no idea what normal life looked like,” says Tanner. “Kids at school would make fun of me, because I did not even have soap at home. The little things a person takes for granted were things I could not imagine having.”

Little did he know that becoming a member of the Boys & Girls Club would forever change his life.

“It was my grandparents who decided to take me to the Club for the first time,” he recalls. “That decision saved my life.”

Jaiden Dalton, a Sophomore at Cleveland High School, has been a Club member for eight years.

“My home life was horrible,” Jaiden says matter-of-factly. Thankfully, the Boys & Girls Club has been able to offer Jaiden a “lifeline” by consistently providing somewhere safe and happy to go after school, something that kept her coming back again and again.

“I wish I could say that I felt safe at home when I was younger, but I didn’t,” she says. “I dreaded going [home]. The Boys & Girls Club was a place where I was able to get snacks and meals and do fun and interesting activities that gave me a sense of safety, security, and something to which I could look forward.”

Logan Thompson, a Senior at Cleveland High School, has been attending the Club for ten years.

“The best way I can describe [the Club],” says Logan, “is that it has given me a home. I remember all the people, both staff and peers alike, and can only think of them as family. Two years ago, I fell into a pit of depression and suicidal thoughts even to the degree of planning my own death. The only reason I was able to recover is because of the constant love and affection of the club staff as well as the friends I had made. The Club was and still is instrumental in helping me through day to day life. Every time I walk through those club doors a wave of relief and peace comes over me making it so that many of the worries of the day fall away.”

For Logan, he gives credit to the Club for not only bringing him “out of the darkness and into the light,” but also for helping bring him out of his “shell” of shyness and insecurity through programs like Keystone and Youth of the Year. In fact, those programs have been instrumental in rousing his desire to speak publicly and, in his words, “Preach about all I have seen God do.”

“I can wholeheartedly say that I would not be the person I am today if it were not for the transformative experiences I have had at Boys & Girls Club events,” says Logan. “The club is truly molding me into the man I am becoming.”

To hear more of the amazing stories from these truly inspiring young people, make plans to join us Monday, February 24. A catered dinner begins at 6pm and the program will begin promptly at 6:30pm. The program will include short, 3-minute speech presentations by each of our three finalists.

To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact Eric Wilbanks, Vice President of Resource Development at 423-650-4583 or visit our event page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/events/554103575188153/ to reserve your space.

But hurry, seating is limited!

For more information about the Youth of the Year program, visit www.bgcocoee.org/youth-of-the-year.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Ocoee Region

Founded in 1964, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Ocoee Region is a not-for profit youth development organization dedicated to promoting the educational, vocational, health leadership and character of boys and girls in a safe, nurturing environment. The Clubs provide more than a safe, fun and constructive alternative to being home alone – they offer a variety of award-winning developmental programs to help youth build skills, self-esteem and values during critical periods of growth. The 14 Boys & Girls Club units throughout the Ocoee Region provide services during non-school hours, as well as summer opportunities, to more than 3,200 members from ages 6 to 18.