Over 500 people “hit the beach” at On the Road benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands (BGCM) on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Stinson Park at Aksarben Village. The event was sponsored by Battle Sports Science.

Honorary chairs, Howard Kooper and Tom Fellman along with chairs, Kirk and Sue Swartzbaugh commented, “the energy surrounding the event really shows the support the community has for the youth served by the Boys & Girls Clubs.”

BGCM President and event emcee, Ivan Gilreath, dedicated the event to long-time Club supporter Phil Schrager. Terri, Rick and Harley Schrager joined Ivan on stage to accept a memorial plaque and to say a few words about Phil’s legacy and the impact he had on underprivileged youth in Omaha.

Chancellor Smith, the 2010 Nebraska Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year and a beneficiary of a Phillip and Terri Schrager Foundation Scholarship, spoke at the event. “Chancellor showed us all why the Clubs are so important. He shared his story and got the crowd excited about the work the Clubs do every day,” said Kirk Swartzbaugh.

The event itself brought in $240,000 to support the Club’s five core program areas:  character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness and recreation.

A very special thanks to all of the sponsors, supporters, volunteers and staff that made On the Road possible.

For event photos go to http://www.bgcomaha.org/gallery/?album=1&gallery=45

It isn’t every day that a cliché so accurately depicts the landscape of my life. In the cliché “what a difference a year makes”, we gauge the growth of a person, not by unexplained phenomena or statistical irregularity, but by the simplest constant in human existence: time. In a matter of 365 days, the most basic element can drastically transform every aspect of our life.

Exactly 365 days ago, I was caught in the whirl-wind that is Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Youth of the Year.  My life was a mess of speeches, rehearsals, photos, pressure, pressure, pressure: this, all while trying to be a senior in high school. This was my life and at the time, it seemed to be too much for me to handle. Every week was a competition between Darrius Shaw “Texas Youth of the Year,” and normal, socially awkward Darrius. With every day, my limitations were pushed and I was left feeling defeated.

Then, the speeches came further in between, the cameras stopped flashing; when I was introduced, there were no stereos resonating in an auditorium filled with wide-eyed strangers and unfamiliar faces. I embraced it. However, what remained was the pressure: college student, BGC alum, NYU-student ambassador, role-model, poster boy. The difference?  A year of pressure, unnatural forces, the blistering inferno of expectation – it  all formed my skin to feel as hard as diamonds.  With that year, “what did not kill me, made me stronger”. Cliché as it might seem, the trials that tested me in this last year have made me more capacble of  conquering each new role bestowed upon me.

Growth is only a small aspect of exactly how much difference a year makes.  This summer I will be interning at Advanced Micro Devices in Austin, Texas. I will be working as an engineer tackling practical problems. I will be living my dream. 365 days ago, that was as close as I could ever fathom: dreaming. In a year, we have a capacity to completely change our circumstances, totally reconstruct the idea of fantastical, and absolutely redefine reality. The things that we endure, no matter how cliché they might be, mold us into the people we are to become. I am still growing; we are all still growing. But every day will bring us more wisdom, more strength and more opportunity. So make today the beginning of shaping your new life, so that in 365 days you may look back and say to yourself “what a difference a year makes.”

This story originally appeared on the In Their Words blog from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, featuring Youth of the Year finalists from across the country.

Already a second-semester freshman at Marquette University, I have learned that studying is a precious skill. It helps you understand the material better, it helps you focus on future grades and finally, it helps you determine your final score on exams.

In high school, studying never existed in my world. Everything came surprisingly easy. However at Marquette, the knowledge you learn has to be applied to assignments. I noticed that the curriculum established at Marquette forces you to retain information that is learned. Through studying,  I now know what is expected of me and what it takes to become an A student. Studying rescued me from my trial-and-error attempts on tests. It has become my best friend – especially during finals week.

I never valued the idea of studying until I came to Marquette. Yes, it takes up a plethora of time I that could otherwise be spent on fun, but I understand that it is all worth it in the end. I will continue to reach my goals and follow the pathway to success.

This story originally appeared on the In Their Words blog from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, featuring Youth of the Year finalists from across the country.

On Wednesday, March 9^th, DaSean Anderson was named Nebraska Youth of the Year before a group of Club dignitaries, state senators, friends and family at a ceremony in Lincoln. Cameron Crockrom, a member of the Offutt AFB Boys & Girls Club, received runner-up honors.

DaSean and Cameron gave their speeches in front of a panel of judges. While the judges deliberated, the two joined members of the Lincoln, Grand Island and Winnebago Clubs at the Nebraska State Capitol to be applauded by members of the Unicam.

Following their time observing Nebraska senators debate current issues, the candidates returned to the Cornhusker Marriott for a luncheon in their honor, where Chancellor Smith (pictured), the 2010 BGCM and NE Youth of the Year served as emcee. After DaSean and Cameron were given the opportunity to speak directly to the group in attendance, Chancellor stepped to the front of the room and announced DaSean the State’s winner.

click here for photos

DaSean’s next stop is the Regional Youth of the Year Competition in Chicago this July. There she will compete against other state winners from across the Midwest Region for a $10,000 college scholarship and a chance to compete  for the national honor in Washington, DC.

The first BGCM newsletter will start to hit mailboxes and inboxes tomorrow. If you can’t wait that long, click here to download it now.