Michael Ingersoll and fellow cast mates performed "Under the Streetlight" at the Elgin Community College Visual and Performing Arts Center on Monday, November 16.  In addition to their swingin' Rat Pack tunes and doo-wop hits, this group donated part of their proceeds to two good causes: The ECC Arts Center's annual campaign and the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin.

Club members served as greeters for the event (along with getting in on the sound check beforehand).  At the end of the concert, cast member Michael Ingersoll lead an on-stage auction - the prize package included a pair of tickets to an upcoming (sold out!) performance of Jersey Boys, a backstage tour and photos with the cast after the show. Talk about a hot ticket!  That night they sold 3 sets of tickets at $2000 each!  The $6,000 will be split between our Club and the ECC Art Center.

A big thanks to Steve Duchrow, the Director of Performing Arts at ECC for letting us take part in this fun event.  And thanks to the cast of the Jersey Boys – you guys are amazing!

Outside the doors of the Teen Center at the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin, a colorful mural hangs thanks to four special artists.  Abigail Torres, Flavio Gomez Arroyo, Simply Daniel Escamilla, and Tracy Ibarra collaborated on the large mural to help inspire the children of the Club.

The title of the mural is The Spirit of Youth.  “The title says it all,” a smiling artist Tracy Ibarra explains.  The energy depicted in the mural and its vibrant colors draw people to it.  “The purpose of the mural is to encourage children to follow their individual imaginations and encourage them to think differently,” one of the artists, Simply Daniel Escamilla, explains.  “It will also give inspiration for the next generation of young artists in our community,” adds Flavio Arroyo.

All four artists agree that the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin is the perfect place to hang their mural.  “Simply put, there is no better place to hang the mural!  The goal of the mural and the Boys & Girls Club is the same.  If we want to better our community, there is no better way but to teach the youth they can accomplish great things,” Escamilla explains.  “And we would like to inspire children of all ages to think about art and express themselves,” adds Abigail Torres.

The public is welcome to see for the mural for themselves.  The artists will unveil the piece on Friday, October 30^th, and anyone is welcome to visit the Club from noon to 4pm.  “In addition we would like to invite anyone from the community to visit our Club for a tour anytime,” says Rose Reinert, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin.  “We are open Monday through Friday; just call us at 847-608-5017 to schedule a time to visit.  You will be able to see an inspirational piece of artwork and see the wonderful things that we do here at the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin!”

The members of the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin had an extra lesson to learn last week.  Members learned about the US Congress and who their Congressman is.  Then on Friday, they got to meet Congressman Bill Foster in person!

 The Club had invited the Congressman to visit so the staff, Board and the members could thank him in person for supporting stimulus funding that the Club will receive this year.  The Congressman, along with Senator Michael Noland and City Councilman John Steffen, were given a tour of the Club, including a quick foosball game with his Club member tour guides.  At the end of his visit, the children of the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin presented Congressman Foster with a thank you present – signed by them.

 “As we grow future leaders here, we strive to teach the children skills to support good character and citizenship.  This experience taught them about their elected officials and how Congress works,” said Rose Reinert, Executive Director.  “But, maybe more importantly, they learned to remember to always say thank you!”

 The Boys & Girls Club of America received funding from stimulus funding and Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the country applied for a portion of these funds.  This funding was made possible by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, which Foster voted for.  From this funding, the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin received $42,500 from a job preservation/creation grant.  These funds will allow the organization to retain some of their Program Assistants, the people who work directly with the children each day.  In addition, the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin also received $95,000 in federal funding through the FY 2009 appropriations bill, which Foster requested.  The funds will support the after school program assisting low-income middle school students focusing on reading and homework assistance, financial literacy, and drug and alcohol abuse prevention.

  “The Boys & Girls Club of Elgin is a vital resource for area families and their children, promoting academic success, healthy lifestyles and building character,” said Foster.  “I am pleased that the stimulus funding will help some of the club’s employees keep their jobs so that the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin can continue to be a pillar of our community.”

In an effort to feed the millions of young people expected to miss meals or go hungry this summer, Morgan Stanley announced today a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Elgin to provide meals to children this summer.  Through a donation from the Morgan Stanley Foundation to BGCA, the "Million Meal Summer" program will dispense more than one million wholesome, free meals and snacks to children this summer who typically receive subsidized meals during the school year.

  "The reason we are doing this is quite simple", states John J. Mack, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley.    "Faced with the current economic challenges, many families are struggling to provide their children with healthy meals.  It is part of our Firm's culture to act when we learn that one out of six children in the U.S. will not be getting enough to eat."

 "We are extremely grateful to the Morgan Stanley Foundation for their generous support that will ensure the young people we serve this summer will not go hungry," said Rose Reinert, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin.  "The economic downturn that has impacted the entire country has been deeply felt by our Club, and many summer food programs have been placed in jeopardy.  Hopefully others will follow Morgan Stanley's lead."

 The young members of the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin already receive free lunch from the Northern Illinois Food Bank.  The Club will be using the additional funds from the Morgan Stanley Foundation to supplement with a snack and host additional family meal nights.  "With the tough economic times, Club members' families often struggle to put food on the table", adds Reinert.  "If we can keep our members safe and fed during the summer, we know we are doing our job.  At the Club we grow future leaders.  It is wonderful to have an organization like Morgan Stanley embrace our mission."