Boys & Girls Club Leaders Recognized at Kiwanis Honors Dinner
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kiwanis Club of Lawrence hosted its second annual honors dinner and fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence on Thursday evening. Two staff members and a longtime board member were recognized for their service to the organization in the areas of Leadership, Administration and Volunteerism.
For the second-consecutive year, Kiwanis concluded the awards ceremony with its vice president – and Boys & Girls Club board member – Matt Llewellyn presenting the Club with a $5,000 check for the Don & Beverly Gardner Center for Great Futures. BGCLK Executive Director, Colby Wilson, and president of the board, Mike Bourneuf, accepted the check and thanked Kiwanis for their generous support.
“We are lucky to have an organization like Kiwanis in our community,” Wilson said. “Of course we are thankful for their financial support, but they are also very dedicated to making this event a special night for all of us associated with the Boys & Girls Club. I know our staff is truly honored.”
Chris Austin (Site Coordinator), Duane LaFrenz (Board Member) and Alissa Bauer (Director of Marketing and Communications) were selected as the award recipients for 2017. Area Director and 2012 BGCA National Youth of the Year, Trei Dudley, introduced Austin. He works as the Site Coordinator for the Quail Run Elementary Club location. As his supervisor, Dudley described Austin as a positive, energetic force that tirelessly runs the operations at Quail Run. The award came as a total surprise.
“I was not expecting this at all,” Austin said. “My mom walked in and said, ‘Is this seat taken?’ and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I just want to say thank you. I don’t do it for the recognition; I do it for the kids. I always try to be like someone I would’ve wanted when I was a kid. Someone who would get to know me and let me be myself.”
An honoree from the inaugural Kiwanis Honors Dinner, Al Hack, introduced the second honoree. Former Club kid and Board Member, Duane LaFrenz was recognized as the volunteer honoree. LaFrenz has served on the Boys & Girls Club board for nearly 30 years. His generosity goes far behind his time as he volunteers to hand make furniture to sell at fundraising auctions.
“Duane has been a lifelong member of the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence,” Hack said. “His father helped start the organization and Duane was one of the first members.”
Lastly, the Radio voice of the Jayhawks, Brian Hanni, took to the stage to introduce the last honoree, Alissa Bauer. Hanni spoke with many of her former colleagues at Kansas Athletics and current Boys & Girls Club supervisors.
“Where Alissa has our organization now, as far as community awareness as our impact and hugely successful events that raise money, we’re light years ahead of where we were when she started with us. Thanks to Alissa, the Boys & Girls Club brand is stronger than ever.”
At the conclusion of the remarks, Wilson and Bourneuf were presented with the check. From the Kiwanis Club was Llewellyn, Dick Bennet and Tom Wilkerson, President of the Kiwanis Foundation. The check was the second payment of the Kiwanis Clubs $25,000 pledge to the Boys & Girls Club capital campaign for their new Center for Great Futures.