seymour boys & girls club needs community support

When the Seymour Branch of the Boys & Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains opened on November 15, enough funding had been raised from various entities to operate for one year, which is what the organization requires prior to opening a new branch.  According to Executive Director Mark Ross, the Club has exceeded goals in most respects and yet the financial goals are down from where they were expected to be by this time.

“In just six months, we have 200 Seymour Club members, with 65 children on a waiting list,” says Ross.  “We knew from our research that the Club was needed in Seymour and our numbers are definitely proving it.  Unfortunately, because it’s so new and it happened so fast, we haven’t been able to access as much of the community support as we need to make this a long term success.  Right now, we’re just trying to make some more friends and see who can help us make a difference for our Seymour kids.”

Funding for the Seymour Branch has come from grants, Sevier County Government, and member program fees, as well as a few generous individuals in the Seymour community.

“We’re very fortunate to operate in Sevier County,” continues Ross, “and I know that there are many, many generous people in Seymour who can and will help with the Club there.  We’re just asking for a little more help from them to make our partnership work.”

The Boys & Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains currently operates five branch locations in Gatlinburg, Kodak, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Seymour guiding more than 1,600 members.  The Club’s mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.  The Boys & Girls Club program is targeted toward youth ages 6-18 and offers a varied and diversified program of daily opportunities in the arts, education & career development, character & leadership development, health & life skills and sports, fitness & recreation. The Clubs are open after-school each day from 2:30 – 7:00 pm and summer from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

One of the most successful programs the Club offers is Power Hour Homework Assistance, where an adult mentor assists the members with homework help every day after school.  Seymour residents Robbin & Mark Dean wrote to the organization about their son, Austin, who was failing in all subjects at the beginning of last year.  They write, “Austin’s report cards got better and better. In fact we just received his last report card of the year, and we are happy to announce that he has been promoted to the seventh grade with a report card full of B's and C's and even one A!

We were all so proud of him and so thankful for the Boys & Girls Club and the incredible people who devote each day to our children. We are eternally grateful for the attention that was given to our son during such a critical time in Austin's education. Joining the Club was a very easy fix for a very difficult situation. Thank you to everyone involved.”

“We continue to have big plans for the Seymour Club, including a teen center, so we can help more kids like Austin,” says Ross.  “We’re looking for some dream makers to partner with us to make sure that the kids in Seymour continue to have a positive place to go after school.  It doesn’t have to be a lot, just some people who can lend a hand to the Seymour kids.  It doesn’t take a lot to make dreams come true for our kids.”

If you would like to get involved with the Seymour Branch either financially or by volunteering, please contact Mark Ross or Sue Dempersmier at 428-6550.