The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bluffton and Hilton Head Island will host the 2016 Hope & Opportunity luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Westin on Hilton Head Island.
This year’s event will honor Bluffton Police Chief Joseph Reynolds and Hilton Head’s Margie and Stan Smith, all long-time Club supporters and champions of children.
The Bluffton Club started the luncheon in 2012 as a way to honor those who have achieved professional excellence, actively served the community and have directly supported the club.
This is the second year the event will be co-hosted with the Hilton Head Island Club.
Joseph (Joey) Reynolds was appointed Chief of Police for the Town of Bluffton in 2012. He is an active member of the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton’s Advisory Board and a strong supporter of the Club’s Explorers Learning for Life Program, which teaches youth ages 12 to 17 basic law enforcement training as well as life and leadership skills.
“Chief Reynolds has been a huge supporter of Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton, understanding that together we are building a better Bluffton, one child at a time,” said Molly O. Smith, Bluffton Club unit director.
Reynolds also makes himself or other officers available to provide police presence at the Club during special events.
In 1996, board member and International Tennis Hall of Fame president Stan Smith chaired a capital campaign to secure $5 million to build a Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island facility.
Smith and his wife, Margie, have continued to serve the Club by remaining active board members and volunteers. The couple chairs the annual Hilton Head Island Club Spring Gala, which in 15 years has raised more than $2 million for the Club.
“Stan labors on the Club’s behalf in one way or another almost daily, and has made supporting the Boys & Girls Club mission a priority in his life,” said Kim Likins, Hilton Head Club unit director.
“Margie graciously gives of her time most every afternoon to help with just about anything needed at the Club,” Likins said. “The Smiths’ commitment to the success of the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island is unprecedented.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bluffton and Hilton Head Island serve about 1,500 youth annually and work to provide them with a fun, safe and constructive environment when they are not at home or in school.
Club members interact with friends, classmates, and supportive volunteers and staff while they enjoy activities designed to put them on track to achieve academic success, become productive citizens and live a healthy lifestyle.
This event benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs’ STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Program. Jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields are growing nearly twice as fast as other fields, presenting young people a huge opportunity.
With this in mind, the Clubs work to engage their members in STEM education during out-of-school time in hopes of giving Bluffton and Hilton Head Island-area youth the opportunity, skills and confidence to one day succeed in STEM fields.
Past Hope & Opportunity honorees include Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka, educator and businesswoman Dr. Helen Ryan, President and CEO Warner Peacock of New River Auto Mall, President and CEO Denise Spencer of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, and Merrill Lynch financial advisor Susan Ketchum.
The luncheon is open to the public. Tickets are $75. For more information, call Micki Schiffman at 843-379-4530 or visit www.bgclowcountry.org.
