Overwhelmed doesn’t begin to cover the onslaught of emotions I felt throughout the night on Oct. 10 as our year-long celebration of 60 years culminated in our inaugural Great Futures Gala at Parkersburg Art Center.

The days leading up to the event were filled with nerves and excitement as we prepared to welcome friends, alumni, supporters, parents, staff and Club members to an event we had worked months to perfect.

A special thank you to Candice Black, Justin Clark, Darlene Murphy, Dasia Russell, Jazlyn Frieson and Charlie Kittle for all your work to make this event happen. I could not have asked for a better event and their hard work made it happen!

We kicked off the night with a small gathering of board members and donors announcing our beautiful outdoor renovation plans that we are well on our way to having 100% funded. Jim Clark, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, joined in on the festivities and mingled with the crowd.

At 6 p.m., guests started to arrive, and what a flourish of sequins, feathers and fringe it was. The 1920s themed night had everyone pulling out their best flapper attire, along with some three-piece suits and Al Capone-esque gangsters (fake cigars and all). And the Club kids took the cake with their adorable period costumes — they honestly stole the show with their rendition of “Country Roads” by John Denver and then a 1920s inspired dance. A standing ovation was the result of the best part of the night.

The food was superb. The drinks were flowing. The stories were shared. Justin Clark, COO, worked the crowd auctioning off a week stay in Charleston, S.C., which raised the Club $3,500 (a big thanks to Jim and Becky McGinnis — enjoy your trip).

Dianna Flanagan got emotional as she talked about her late husband Mike’s love of BGCP after receiving his West Virginia Boys & Girls Clubs Hall of Fame award. I was able to share why Clubs are my passion and I hope it touched a few people. And then there is Jim Clark! Wow! He shared the struggles that kids today are facing and how Clubs can be the silver lining to so many dark clouds.

After all the stories were shared, I felt compelled to do so and asked those in the room if they were willing to invest in GREAT FUTURES right then and there and once again, in the true sense of the word — I was AWEstruck. So many people raised their hands and pledged: $5,000; $2,500; $1,000; $500 and $100. It turned this night of celebration into one of true change. If you made a pledge at the gala, or if you are called to give now, you can use the link below to our Call to Action giving page: https://tinyurl.com/49zjfud9.

If you prefer to receive an invoice, please let me know. You can email me at lynnreins@bgcparkersburg.org or give me a call 304-485-6434 ext. 301. Thank you for supporting GREAT FUTURES and investing in Clubs. Without you, there are no clubs.

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Lynn Reins, MSW, is the chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Parkersburg.