IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - The Holiday Ball of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley (BGCMV) will be held Saturday, December 13, and will feature music, dancing, fine dining, and cocktails. But for five extraordinary Quad-Cities children, the highlight of the event will be the Club Member of the Year Awards, honoring them for observing the values of the Boys & Girls Clubs.
The Holiday Ball will be held at the Isle of Capri, 1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf, IA. The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktail receptions for the general public, as well as a VIP and Sponsor reception with Special Guest Chad Pregracke, Founder of Living Lands and Waters and CNN's 2013 Hero of the Year. Guests can bid on a selection of Silent Auction items, and art pieces and ornaments made by BGCMV members will also be for sale.
The dinner and presentation begin at 7 p.m. A steak dinner with a vegetarian option will be served, with gourmet cupcakes for dessert. The emcee will be KWQC news anchor Morgan Ottier. During the presentation, the winners of Club Member of the Year Awards will be announced and introduced. Later, partygoers can dance to the music of the band Ear Candy from 8:30 to 11 p.m.
"We welcome the community to the Holiday Ball," said Tim Tolliver, Chief Executive Officer of the BGCMV. "The funds raised by this event will help the Clubs to reach more young people, maintain the Clubs that they enjoy, and provide them with services to enhance their lives."
The awards ceremony will follow the same format as the Oscars, Tolliver noted. "The names of the nominees in each category will be read and the winners will be announced," He said. "The five winners will be there to accept their awards in categories following the Five Core Values emphasized by the Boys & Girls Clubs. These categories are Character and Leadership Development; The Arts; Sports, Fitness and Recreation; Education and Career Development; and Health and Life Skills."
Tolliver added that the results of this year's Literacy Challenge will be shared during the presentation. "Members of the BGCMV are given free books, donated by the community," he said. "They've been keeping track of how many pages they've read. Those who have made the greatest progress will be recognized at the Holiday Ball."
Registration for the Holiday Ball is $100 per person. To register, call (309) 757-5777 or visit the Holiday Ball page on the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley website: www.bgcmv.org/portal/holiday-
The Holiday Ball will be held at the Isle of Capri, 1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf, IA. The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktail receptions for the general public, as well as a VIP and Sponsor reception with Special Guest Chad Pregracke, Founder of Living Lands and Waters and CNN's 2013 Hero of the Year. Guests can bid on a selection of Silent Auction items, and art pieces and ornaments made by BGCMV members will also be for sale.
The dinner and presentation begin at 7 p.m. A steak dinner with a vegetarian option will be served, with gourmet cupcakes for dessert. The emcee will be KWQC news anchor Morgan Ottier. During the presentation, the winners of Club Member of the Year Awards will be announced and introduced. Later, partygoers can dance to the music of the band Ear Candy from 8:30 to 11 p.m.
"We welcome the community to the Holiday Ball," said Tim Tolliver, Chief Executive Officer of the BGCMV. "The funds raised by this event will help the Clubs to reach more young people, maintain the Clubs that they enjoy, and provide them with services to enhance their lives."
The awards ceremony will follow the same format as the Oscars, Tolliver noted. "The names of the nominees in each category will be read and the winners will be announced," He said. "The five winners will be there to accept their awards in categories following the Five Core Values emphasized by the Boys & Girls Clubs. These categories are Character and Leadership Development; The Arts; Sports, Fitness and Recreation; Education and Career Development; and Health and Life Skills."
Tolliver added that the results of this year's Literacy Challenge will be shared during the presentation. "Members of the BGCMV are given free books, donated by the community," he said. "They've been keeping track of how many pages they've read. Those who have made the greatest progress will be recognized at the Holiday Ball."
Registration for the Holiday Ball is $100 per person. To register, call (309) 757-5777 or visit the Holiday Ball page on the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley website: www.bgcmv.org/portal/holiday-
An Evening to Remember
The Holiday Ball will honor 20 years of serving young people in the Quad-Cities area. "It's like a big birthday party," Tolliver said. "We will be holding the Holiday Ball every year from now on, so we want the first one to make a memorable impression."As part of the evening's entertainment, the Metropolitan Youth Program will dazzle guests with their outstanding drumline skills. The Program is headquartered at 712 8th St., Rock Island. "The young people who belong to this group are highly skilled and their performance will be one of the highlights of the evening," Tolliver said.
The event's Special Guest, Chad Pregracke, has dedicated his life to cleaning up the Mississippi River and other waterways. His efforts are organized through his nonprofit organization, Living Lands & Waters. For his contributions to his country, Pregracke was named 2013 CNN Hero of the Year.
"Chad was in his teens when he realized that the Mississippi River needed help," Tolliver said. "He decided to fix the situation, and at age 23, he founded Living Lands & Waters. He serves as an excellent role model for today's youth and we are proud to have him as our Special Guest."
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, as a chartered member of Boys and Girls Clubs of America, is a tax-exempt organization, duly qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions are tax-deductible in accordance with Federal law. For more information on the BGCMV and their work in the community, call (309) 757-5777 or visit www.bgcmv.org.
