Odeelo Dayondon speaking to guests at the event, sharing his experience at the Boys & Girls Club.
By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– The Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii – Charles C. Spalding Clubhouse hosted an Alumni Luau on Saturday July 21st, 2012. Nearly 120 guests were in attendance to reminisce about their times at the Club and to celebrate all that the Club has accomplished since 1976 when it first opened. The event featured alum Odeelo Dayondon to speak to the guests about his experiences at the Club and how they shaped who he is as an adult today. His passion for art and athletics stemmed from programs at the Boys & Girls Club, and now he is a graphic designer for Pacific Basin Communications and a tri-athlete competing in the prestigious Iron Man competition this fall. He raised funds for the Club in 2011 while participating in the Honolulu Marathon, and is now doing the same for the Iron Man through a program called Project: LAUNCHPAD (for more info visit http://www.facebook.com/projectlaunchpad).
Teens from the Club leadership program, Leaders in Training, helped serve the guests the delicious luau meal.
The Alumni Luau also celebrated the recent donation of brand new furniture to the Teen Center Study Rooms from the INspiration Interiors. Thomas Sorensen, Owner of INspiration, felt that it was important to create an environment that inspired teens to take their studies seriously and to invest in their future educational and career goals. The donation totaled over $8,000 of stylish new tables and chairs, as well as new computer task chairs. The teens were thrilled to see the updated study rooms and to know that someone in the community took such strong interest in their success.
Guests enjoying the event in the Spalding Clubhouse gymnasium.
The Unit Director of the Spalding Clubhouse, Natalie Pawluk Moore, intends on making the Alumni Luau an annual event, where Club alumni and community members can come together to recognize the importance of this key after-school program in the Honolulu Community. Thanks to Platinum Sponsors Ms. Edith Leong and Mr. Jack Tyrrell of Jack Tyrrell & Company, the Club will be able to host this event for years to come without impacting the financial resources that are used to serve their youth members.
Edith Leong thanks Unit Director Natalie Pawluk Moore for recognizing her as a platinum sponsor of the event.
Currently, nearly 900 youth members ages 7-17 are enrolled at the Spalding Clubhouse, which serves a growing average of 180 members a day. The annual membership fee of only $1.00 entitles youth to participate in positive programs that focus on academic success, healthy lifestyles and good character and citizenship. For more information about the Spalding Boys & Girls Club located at 1704 Waiola Street, please call 808-949-4743.