WEBVTT 00:00:03.298 --> 00:00:09.912 - At Smart Girls, we learn the qualities of being girls. There's only girls there, and it's really fun. 00:00:09.912 --> 00:00:16.591 - We're kind of like a family. The conversations we have, like the period talk, sex talk, hygiene, boys, 00:00:16.591 --> 00:00:23.206 - it's kind of easier because I'm talking with people that can relate to me. Not that my mom can't, but 00:00:23.206 --> 00:00:29.690 - they're my age and they know what I'm going through at this point. I like when I was invited to the 00:00:29.690 --> 00:00:32.414 - Smart Girls' luncheon for the first time. 00:00:32.738 --> 00:00:39.211 - happens at the luncheon that I really like is where we get to talk to the ladies and they ask us questions 00:00:39.211 --> 00:00:45.381 - and they want to know things about us. It seems like they really care about us. Smart Girls taught me 00:00:45.381 --> 00:00:49.918 - how to be myself and have fun. When I was like in school I got bullied and 00:00:50.210 --> 00:00:58.448 - It took to the point where I went suicidal and stuff like that and I couldn't talk to my parents about 00:00:58.448 --> 00:01:03.966 - it. And so our staff, Ms. Jackie, she tells us stuff about her past. 00:01:04.258 --> 00:01:10.520 - how she was abused and everything. It helps me to know that I'm not alone and that if I needed a person 00:01:10.520 --> 00:01:16.601 - to go to, I can go to her and talk to her about it. Smart Girls helped me process my anger right. It 00:01:16.601 --> 00:01:22.382 - shows me how you can be a different person if you change your attitude and do it the right way. 00:01:22.382 --> 00:01:28.523 - You are you, and what you do makes you. So you can't try to be someone else while you're trying to be 00:01:28.523 --> 00:01:32.798 - you. And that's what Smart Girls has taught me. Before Smart Girls, we 00:01:33.474 --> 00:01:41.382 - My friendships were crazy. I couldn't trust anybody, and I really didn't tell them a lot of stuff. But 00:01:41.382 --> 00:01:48.830 - then after Smart Girls, I got to know them better, and now we have a bond that nobody can break. 00:01:57.250 --> 00:02:02.115 - Good evening, everyone, and welcome to Smart Girls, Strong Women. We are so happy you are here with 00:02:02.115 --> 00:02:07.125 - us tonight at the Stephen Conney Ferguson Cresmont Club celebrating this wonderful evening where we're 00:02:07.125 --> 00:02:12.233 - going to recognize women and girls and raise a lot of money for the programs at the Boys and Girls Club. 00:02:12.233 --> 00:02:17.146 - So thank you for being here. Feel free to make your way back through the food lines and the wine and 00:02:17.146 --> 00:02:22.157 - ice cream. That's totally fine. We're going to get through some logistics and some sponsor thank yous, 00:02:22.157 --> 00:02:27.216 - and then we'll get started with our show. For those of you that don't know me or I didn't get to say hi 00:02:27.216 --> 00:02:33.927 - My name is Leslie Absher. I'm the CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington. Thank you. So I've 00:02:33.927 --> 00:02:40.572 - been in this job a little over a year, but I have been with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington 00:02:40.572 --> 00:02:46.685 - for 12 years this month. I'm celebrating my 12-year anniversary with the Bloomington Clubs, 00:02:46.685 --> 00:02:53.862 - which is awesome. And I remember envisioning this night. I remember when we created this event and thinking 00:02:53.862 --> 00:02:55.390 - about how we could get 00:02:55.746 --> 00:03:01.020 - people in this community to support women and girls and come together to listen to stories about how 00:03:01.020 --> 00:03:06.346 - successful girls have been in our community and listen to stories about female empowerment and listen 00:03:06.346 --> 00:03:11.777 - to stories about what it is that we can do when we come together as a collective community. And tonight 00:03:11.777 --> 00:03:12.926 - you are part of that. 00:03:13.346 --> 00:03:18.559 - movement and part of that mission. And so thank you for being here. I know it is a busy time of year. 00:03:18.559 --> 00:03:23.976 - It's the end of year. School's wrapping up and IU is ending, but we are glad you are spending the evening 00:03:23.976 --> 00:03:29.292 - with us tonight to attend, to participate, and to give this wonderful event celebrating our girls. Some 00:03:29.292 --> 00:03:34.454 - of those girls you may have noticed on your tables made paper dolls. So in the centerpieces, you see 00:03:34.454 --> 00:03:39.718 - the paper dolls that our kids at the club made. Kids like Justice at the Lincoln Street Club. Her doll 00:03:39.718 --> 00:03:40.382 - has no face. 00:03:40.834 --> 00:03:46.049 - And we asked her why she made a doll with no face. And she said, well, sometimes I feel happy. And sometimes 00:03:46.049 --> 00:03:50.643 - I feel sad. And all of those things are OK. And I love that. We taught her that in Smart Girls, 00:03:50.643 --> 00:03:55.619 - she told us, that she learned that all of those emotions are fine. And so she didn't want to put a face 00:03:55.619 --> 00:04:00.403 - on her doll because she doesn't always feel the same way all the time. And that's a really powerful 00:04:00.403 --> 00:04:02.078 - thing coming from a nine-year-old. 00:04:02.146 --> 00:04:07.161 - to believe that she can feel however she feels and it still represents who she is. She gets to be sad 00:04:07.161 --> 00:04:12.274 - and happy and angry and joyful and silly. And that's all part of what makes her her. And so that's what 00:04:12.274 --> 00:04:17.388 - we're doing tonight is we're reminded of what those kids need when they're seven, eight, and nine years 00:04:17.388 --> 00:04:22.550 - old. What we got when we were seven, eight, and nine years old. And that's really what we're celebrating 00:04:22.550 --> 00:04:26.238 - tonight. Empowering young women in our community is the work of all of us. 00:04:26.754 --> 00:04:33.131 - Modeling the way for young people is the collective burden of a high-functioning society. We need people 00:04:33.131 --> 00:04:39.326 - to replace me someday. We need people to replace you someday, right? We have to continue to grow this 00:04:39.326 --> 00:04:45.461 - great community, and the way that we do that is by investing in our kids. And I believe that you are 00:04:45.461 --> 00:04:51.838 - all here tonight because you believe that too. You believe in the power of that investment. Yeah, we do. 00:04:55.170 --> 00:05:00.763 - When a community works together to support the most vulnerable among us, our children, we build a strong 00:05:00.763 --> 00:05:06.622 - foundation for our collective community future. We build strong leaders. We build leaders that are confident, 00:05:06.622 --> 00:05:12.108 - that are smart, that are generous, and that are determined to take us where we need to go. Young women 00:05:12.108 --> 00:05:15.038 - who will guide us through the challenging times ahead. 00:05:15.362 --> 00:05:21.155 - who will ensure that this community continues to be a place where everyone is welcome. A place that 00:05:21.155 --> 00:05:27.063 - ensures opportunities for all young people and continues to fight for the citizens that need us most. 00:05:27.063 --> 00:05:32.972 - We want everyone to do well because then we all do well. And it's our job to invest in those kids and 00:05:32.972 --> 00:05:38.880 - give them every opportunity that they deserve. Far too many young women in our society lack this kind 00:05:38.880 --> 00:05:40.734 - of support. They lack nurturing 00:05:40.866 --> 00:05:47.010 - They lack adults in their lives that believe in them and speak life and truth into them, and that is 00:05:47.010 --> 00:05:53.154 - not acceptable. We are here tonight together to take a stand and make sure that we reach every young 00:05:53.154 --> 00:05:59.541 - girl who needs us most. The club is currently serving our highest number of kids ever. We've been around 00:05:59.541 --> 00:06:05.502 - for 70 years, and we are serving more kids today than ever before. Yeah, that's great. I love it. 00:06:09.954 --> 00:06:16.760 - We have as many as 723 kids in our building each and every day. There's about 200 of us in this room. 00:06:16.760 --> 00:06:23.633 - So think about 723 kids across this community are being served at a Boys and Girls Club each and every 00:06:23.633 --> 00:06:26.302 - day, and about half of those are girls. 00:06:26.818 --> 00:06:31.545 - The Boys and Girls Club provides a safe place for all of those kids in our community. And even though 00:06:31.545 --> 00:06:36.180 - we're creeping closer and closer to capacity, especially at our Ellitsville Club, we have space. We 00:06:36.180 --> 00:06:40.814 - have room for about 100 more kids a day to be in our buildings. And so we're excited to continue to 00:06:40.814 --> 00:06:45.495 - spread the word about what the Boys and Girls Club provides. And tonight, that is part of what we're 00:06:45.495 --> 00:06:50.130 - doing, too. We're teaching you about what it is that we're doing so you can go tell everybody about 00:06:50.130 --> 00:06:54.718 - the great work of the Boys and Girls Club. Everything else in our world is getting more expensive. 00:06:54.882 --> 00:07:01.309 - Yes, and if you spent money today on coffee or lunch or gas, you know this, but the Boys and Girls Club 00:07:01.309 --> 00:07:07.550 - is just $20 a year. It's been $20 a year for as long as I know, and it remains $20 a year per child. 00:07:07.550 --> 00:07:13.915 - It is our mission to stay accessible for all youth, to give all young people an opportunity to receive 00:07:13.915 --> 00:07:20.342 - robotics and tutoring and mentoring and all kinds of programs that equip them for their lives, and it's 00:07:20.342 --> 00:07:24.606 - only 20 bucks a year. And the only way we can do that is all of you. 00:07:25.250 --> 00:07:31.062 - community support. The true cost of what we do is about $750 to serve a kid throughout the course of 00:07:31.062 --> 00:07:37.105 - the year. And the difference between the $750 and the $20 we charge to families is made up by donations. 00:07:37.105 --> 00:07:43.262 - And it's not made up by a bunch of large donations from all over the country. It's made up by people here. 00:07:43.554 --> 00:07:50.137 - in this community that say, yeah, I can do a little bit. I have something that I can give. I can contribute 00:07:50.137 --> 00:07:56.293 - to this community. And I believe in investing in kids. And that's how we get it done. And that's how 00:07:56.293 --> 00:08:02.692 - we're going to get it done tonight, too. It's very exciting. So this marks our 70th year in Bloomington. 00:08:02.692 --> 00:08:08.970 - And so seven decades, this community has said yes to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington. So thank 00:08:08.970 --> 00:08:13.054 - you so much for that. Yeah. So by being here tonight, you are part 00:08:13.314 --> 00:08:18.676 - of that legacy. The legacy that we've had for 70 years in this community and the legacy that we hope 00:08:18.676 --> 00:08:24.196 - to have for generations to come. So thank you again for being here. It's going to be a wonderful night. 00:08:24.196 --> 00:08:29.505 - A few logistics before we get started. I want to thank our sponsors for the evening and also I want 00:08:29.505 --> 00:08:30.142 - to show you 00:08:30.306 --> 00:08:35.463 - You all got a bid card when you came in, and there was a little blue ticket attached to it. That is 00:08:35.463 --> 00:08:40.981 - your raffle ticket. You must be here to win, but don't lose your raffle ticket. Don't leave early. That'll 00:08:40.981 --> 00:08:46.189 - be the last thing we do. We will have a signed IU football from our very own Khalil Benson. Latonya, 00:08:46.189 --> 00:08:48.510 - wave at us. That's Khalil's mom right there. 00:08:51.650 --> 00:08:56.368 - She is our unit director of this building right here, Ms. Latonya, and we're so glad to have Khalil's 00:08:56.368 --> 00:09:00.993 - signature on our IU football that we're going to give away. We've assigned IU men's basketball from 00:09:00.993 --> 00:09:05.803 - our coach DeVries. We have a signed book, More Than a Doll, by our keynote speaker tonight. And we have 00:09:05.803 --> 00:09:10.428 - an Oliver winery gift basket. So make sure you keep that raffle card and make sure you can be ready 00:09:10.428 --> 00:09:12.926 - for it when the time comes at the end of the evening. 00:09:13.730 --> 00:09:20.742 - At this time, I will start recognizing groups. So if you are a board member or a board ambassador at 00:09:20.742 --> 00:09:27.684 - the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington, I'm gonna ask you to stand up. You can do it. Stand up and 00:09:27.684 --> 00:09:35.390 - stay standing. Let's give these people a round of applause. Stay standing, folks. All right, stay up, stay up. 00:09:36.162 --> 00:09:43.634 - If you have ever been a board member, please stand up. If you have ever been on the auxiliary, either 00:09:43.634 --> 00:09:51.033 - a current or past member of the Ladies Auxiliary, go ahead and stand and be recognized at this time. 00:09:51.033 --> 00:09:54.110 - All right, you can go ahead and sit down. 00:09:55.298 --> 00:10:00.650 - These people lead our organization. We can't do this for 70 years and have all of these wonderful programs 00:10:00.650 --> 00:10:05.752 - for kids, serve 700 kids a day without strong leadership. These individuals serve, they roll up their 00:10:05.752 --> 00:10:10.805 - sleeves, they donate money, they go out and ask for money, they work in programs, they bring food to 00:10:10.805 --> 00:10:14.206 - kids, they do all kinds of things that help the Boys and Girls Club 00:10:14.498 --> 00:10:19.634 - grow. And so thank you to all of you who have been leaders in our organization, past and present board 00:10:19.634 --> 00:10:24.771 - members and auxiliary members. We see you. We appreciate you. Thank you so much. We also want to thank 00:10:24.771 --> 00:10:29.907 - those of us that helped get us fed tonight. So we want to thank Texas Roadhouse and Finney Hospitality 00:10:29.907 --> 00:10:31.902 - Group for providing our dinner tonight. 00:10:38.274 --> 00:10:44.151 - All of our friends in the back, Brewster's Ice Cream, Oliver Winery, Crazy Horse, and Verona Coffee, 00:10:44.151 --> 00:10:50.202 - give it up for them as well. All of that is donated so that every dollar we raise tonight goes directly 00:10:50.202 --> 00:10:56.137 - to kids' programs and it doesn't go to putting on this event, so that's a huge gift from all of them. 00:10:56.137 --> 00:11:02.014 - We also wanna thank Go Express Travel for providing the shuttle and Try North for letting us park in 00:11:02.014 --> 00:11:06.494 - their parking lot, so a huge round of applause for them, we appreciate that. 00:11:11.042 --> 00:11:15.457 - We want to say thank you to the Bloomington Fire Department. They come and help us set up tables and 00:11:15.457 --> 00:11:20.047 - chairs and tear them down at every one of our events. They do that for us. Bloomington High School South 00:11:20.047 --> 00:11:24.419 - Honor Society was here tonight helping Lambda Sigma Epsilon Latino fraternity and other individuals 00:11:24.419 --> 00:11:28.222 - for volunteering this evening. Give our volunteers a round of applause for me, please. 00:11:33.922 --> 00:11:38.835 - We also want to thank Nature's Way for the plants on this stage and Three Blondes Floral Co. for all 00:11:38.835 --> 00:11:43.749 - the flowers. It's almost Mother's Day in graduation, so keep Three Blondes and Nature's Way in mind. 00:11:43.749 --> 00:11:48.856 - Thank you for making the room look so pretty. We appreciate that. And again, just thank you for everyone 00:11:48.856 --> 00:11:53.770 - who donated tonight and helped us to make sure that every dollar we raise goes to kids and programs. 00:11:53.770 --> 00:11:58.683 - So next table sponsors I want to thank, and this is a long list, so I'll have you hold your applause 00:11:58.683 --> 00:12:03.888 - until we get through it till the end. So these are our gold sponsors this evening, Comprehensive Financial 00:12:03.888 --> 00:12:09.092 - David Hayes is a board member and he was a club kid and he's been a supporter ever since. So thank you 00:12:09.092 --> 00:12:14.246 - to CFCI, we appreciate you guys. Service Master, Restoration and Cleaning, we thank you to Dusty Bean 00:12:14.246 --> 00:12:19.350 - and Sheena. Service Master also presents our Father Daughter Dance. They've been longtime supporters 00:12:19.350 --> 00:12:21.118 - of the club so we appreciate them. 00:12:21.186 --> 00:12:25.862 - Choice Realty, thank you to board member Lori Todd, past board president and advocate for kids. Lori 00:12:25.862 --> 00:12:30.214 - not only supports the club, but she rolls up her sleeves and does whatever it takes for kids. 00:12:30.214 --> 00:12:34.936 - So thank you, Lori, we appreciate you. IMA, Internal Medicine Associates Healthcare Foundation, we're 00:12:34.936 --> 00:12:39.705 - so thankful for the Rink family. The Rink family's been long time supporters of the club and we really 00:12:39.705 --> 00:12:44.473 - appreciate their support tonight. Markies, rental and staging, thank you to Zach Strabing and the crew 00:12:44.473 --> 00:12:47.390 - for making us sound and look good. We appreciate that so much. 00:12:47.522 --> 00:12:52.905 - Master Rental, Darren Lavin is a past board member. He donates equipment for almost all of our events, 00:12:52.905 --> 00:12:58.183 - which is a huge expense that we don't have to pass on. And so we really appreciate that gift. It's a 00:12:58.183 --> 00:13:03.618 - big gift from him. Cassidy Electrical Contractors, a division of Houston Electrical. The Cassidy family 00:13:03.618 --> 00:13:09.001 - has left a legacy for the club. And with this event specifically, May Cassidy was an inaugural speaker 00:13:09.001 --> 00:13:11.614 - at this event 10 years ago. So thank you to them. 00:13:11.970 --> 00:13:17.167 - Boston Scientific, John Hauser, Mariah Souders, and the whole Boston Scientific team. Not only are they 00:13:17.167 --> 00:13:22.365 - great supporters of our Owen County Club and the Bloomington Clubs, but tonight they're here to support 00:13:22.365 --> 00:13:27.462 - Jayla, who's our Youth of the Year, who you're going to hear from later tonight. Give it up for Jayla 00:13:27.462 --> 00:13:28.062 - over there. 00:13:35.266 --> 00:13:39.898 - Jayla's mom works at Boston Scientific, and so we're excited to have them here and supporting us. And 00:13:39.898 --> 00:13:44.576 - then Elmore companies, DG Elmore and the whole Elmore family have been longtime supporters of the club 00:13:44.576 --> 00:13:49.345 - and of this event specifically. And then DSC Consulting, Dana Star Cummings, who you'll hear from pretty 00:13:49.345 --> 00:13:54.023 - soon here. We're getting to our emcee for the night. And that rounds out our gold sponsors. So can you 00:13:54.023 --> 00:13:56.702 - give us a round of applause for the gold sponsors, please? 00:14:02.050 --> 00:14:09.500 - All right, now for our silver sponsors. Thank you to the Eads family, the Engraving and Stamping Center, 00:14:09.500 --> 00:14:16.595 - German American Bank, Ryan Prahl, and Meinakee of Ellesville. Please give them a round of applause. 00:14:16.595 --> 00:14:24.116 - And then a thank you to our bronze sponsors, JC Bank, Monroe County Public Library, IU School of Nursing, 00:14:24.116 --> 00:14:29.438 - IU Health South Region, Bryan Thompson, F.C. Tucker, Bloomington Realtors, 00:14:29.538 --> 00:14:35.039 - Susan Yalie Holmes, Sterling Real Estate, the Wyman Group, Spring Hill Sweets, and Hoosier Hills Credit 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:37.790 - Union. Round of applause for all of those sponsors. 00:14:43.394 --> 00:14:48.516 - Again, this is how we get it done tonight so that dollars we raised this evening go directly to kids 00:14:48.516 --> 00:14:53.841 - and programs. So thank you so much to all of our sponsors and for being here tonight. And I think that's 00:14:53.841 --> 00:14:59.268 - all my thank yous for now. So without further ado, I'm going to introduce you to our emcee for the evening 00:14:59.268 --> 00:15:04.644 - and we will start our program. So Dana S. Cummings, Dr. Dana S. Cummings is an entrepreneur, a consultant 00:15:04.644 --> 00:15:09.867 - and passionate advocate for women and girls with more than two decades of leadership experience across 00:15:09.867 --> 00:15:12.606 - philanthropy, higher education and civic initiatives. 00:15:12.706 --> 00:15:17.973 - Her work is consistently focused on creating pathways for women to lead and thrive. Her doctoral research 00:15:17.973 --> 00:15:23.042 - explored the leadership journeys of women in higher education, and she previously served on the board 00:15:23.042 --> 00:15:28.210 - of our friends at Girls Inc. of Monroe County, including board president, where she championed programs 00:15:28.210 --> 00:15:33.279 - that empowered girls to be smart, strong, and bold. Professionally, Dana most recently served as vice 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:38.248 - president for the Institution on Advancement at Franklin College, where she led fundraising, alumni 00:15:38.248 --> 00:15:39.838 - engagement, and communications. 00:15:40.386 --> 00:15:46.597 - She's also held advancement leadership roles at DePaul University and Indiana University, leading teams 00:15:46.597 --> 00:15:52.749 - and raising funds for scholarships, capital projects, and operating support. In 2024, after completing 00:15:52.749 --> 00:15:59.199 - her doctorate, Dana founded DSC Consulting to help mission-driven organizations navigate complex challenges 00:15:59.199 --> 00:16:06.366 - through strategic clarity, strong governance, and collaborative leadership. Her work focuses on philanthropic strategy. 00:16:06.498 --> 00:16:11.416 - strategic planning, and community-centered initiatives that strengthen organizations and the people 00:16:11.416 --> 00:16:16.334 - they serve. Dana's from Owen County, but she currently lives with her husband and three children on 00:16:16.334 --> 00:16:21.351 - a farm outside Franklin, Indiana, where they raise sheeps and chicken. And she has the best blazer on 00:16:21.351 --> 00:16:24.990 - of the evening, so why don't you give me a warm welcome to Dana Cummings. 00:16:42.978 --> 00:16:49.913 - Can you hear me? Good evening, Bloomington. How's everybody doing out there tonight? I love it. 00:16:49.913 --> 00:16:57.210 - I love it. Y'all are in a good mood. I can see that because you lucky ducks, you get to live here in 00:16:57.210 --> 00:17:04.506 - Bloomington, Indiana. How wonderful is that? I am so jealous. Those of us who live elsewhere and get 00:17:04.506 --> 00:17:10.430 - to come back and visit, boy, I'll tell you, it is palpable. The minute that I set 00:17:10.562 --> 00:17:17.357 - back here in B-Town, there is just something special. There's just something really unique about this 00:17:17.357 --> 00:17:24.085 - community. And I am absolutely overjoyed to be here tonight with all of you for what I know is going 00:17:24.085 --> 00:17:30.547 - to be a really special evening. So thank you all very much for being here. Thanks for having me. 00:17:30.547 --> 00:17:37.408 - As I said, Bloomington is a really special place for me. It is a place that is really filled with deep 00:17:37.408 --> 00:17:39.806 - connections, memories, friendships, 00:17:40.674 --> 00:17:47.501 - and people I care very much about, many of whom are in the front row here tonight. I thank them for 00:17:47.501 --> 00:17:54.464 - being here. And every time I have an opportunity to return, I'm reminded of just how lucky we are and 00:17:54.464 --> 00:18:01.291 - how powerful it can be when people come together around a shared purpose. And everyone in this room 00:18:01.291 --> 00:18:07.230 - tonight is here for a shared purpose. In many ways, this is where it all began for me. 00:18:07.362 --> 00:18:14.249 - here in Bloomington. I started my career at the Indiana University Foundation. I see lots of IU folks 00:18:14.249 --> 00:18:21.136 - out in the crowd tonight, which is awesome. I love connecting with old friends. And when I was there, 00:18:21.136 --> 00:18:27.888 - I was extremely fortunate to be supported by some of the very best people I have ever known, truly. 00:18:27.888 --> 00:18:34.910 - These are people who invested in me, people who believed in me, and people who helped to shape the path 00:18:35.650 --> 00:18:42.963 - that I'm still on today. And I can tell you this with complete certainty tonight. I would not be standing 00:18:42.963 --> 00:18:50.207 - here in front of you if not for the love, the mentorship, and the care that was poured into me by people 00:18:50.207 --> 00:18:57.106 - right here in this community. So being back here tonight, ladies and gentlemen, at a room like this 00:18:57.106 --> 00:19:04.350 - for a purpose and a cause like this, it is everything to me. It is deeply, deeply meaningful. And again, 00:19:04.866 --> 00:19:13.550 - Our purpose tonight is clear. We are here tonight to invest in girls. It's about lifting up women tonight. 00:19:13.550 --> 00:19:21.990 - And it's about strengthening a community by making sure that every young person, especially every girl, 00:19:21.990 --> 00:19:30.754 - has the opportunity to grow, to lead, and to thrive. I have spent much of my career working in philanthropy 00:19:30.754 --> 00:19:32.702 - and in higher education 00:19:33.474 --> 00:19:41.234 - and most recently in consulting with organizations that are, in many cases, trying to solve what seem 00:19:41.234 --> 00:19:48.994 - like impossible problems. But woven throughout, all of that work has been a consistent thread for me, 00:19:48.994 --> 00:19:56.753 - a deep commitment to supporting and advancing women. A couple of years ago, I was really fortunate to 00:19:56.753 --> 00:20:01.470 - get to complete my doctorate. It was a lifelong goal of mine. 00:20:01.730 --> 00:20:08.592 - that came to fruition in the summer of 2024. And my dissertation focused on women in leadership. 00:20:08.592 --> 00:20:16.162 - Go figure, of course it did. How women navigate systems, how they build influence, and how they ultimately 00:20:16.162 --> 00:20:23.519 - find their voice. Long before that research, I had the privilege of serving on the board at Girls' Inc. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:31.230 - of Monroe County, including a stint as board president. And that experience also shaped me in profound ways. 00:20:31.714 --> 00:20:39.627 - and deepen my belief in the importance of creating spaces where girls can truly be themselves. I'll 00:20:39.627 --> 00:20:47.619 - also say this, supporting and empowering women isn't just something I studied or something that I do 00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:55.928 - professionally, but it has shaped every aspect of my life. Because along the way, I have been surrounded 00:20:55.928 --> 00:20:58.302 - by truly extraordinary women. 00:20:59.586 --> 00:21:07.509 - These are women who lead with strength and grace, women who speak the truth when it isn't easy, and 00:21:07.509 --> 00:21:15.431 - women who have created opportunities for me and for others. These are women who have showed me what 00:21:15.431 --> 00:21:23.829 - leadership could and should look like. Many of you are in the room tonight. You know who you are. Family, 00:21:23.829 --> 00:21:27.870 - friends, colleagues, community leaders. Thank you. 00:21:29.218 --> 00:21:37.612 - Because the work we're talking about tonight, it doesn't happen just in theory. It happens in real life, 00:21:37.612 --> 00:21:45.766 - and it's all about relationships. It happens when one woman believes in another, when one voice lifts 00:21:45.766 --> 00:21:53.920 - another, when one person creates space for someone else to get to take a step forward. That's why I'm 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:57.438 - so excited about tonight's keynote speaker. 00:21:58.082 --> 00:22:04.735 - She has spent her entire career doing exactly that, challenging expectations, expanding possibilities, 00:22:04.735 --> 00:22:11.195 - and helping girls and women to see themselves differently. I cannot wait for you to hear from her a 00:22:11.195 --> 00:22:17.912 - little later in the program. And if I'm being honest, my awareness of how girls are shaped by the world 00:22:17.912 --> 00:22:25.470 - didn't start in a boardroom or a research study. It actually started much earlier. It started on a basketball court. 00:22:25.730 --> 00:22:32.991 - Why? Because this is a basketball state. Who's with me? I'm glad to have that national championship, 00:22:32.991 --> 00:22:40.252 - but we can have both. This is a basketball state. And when I was growing up, I played a lot of ball. 00:22:40.252 --> 00:22:47.513 - And my dad was my coach. And I thought he was about the greatest thing in the world, but he did have 00:22:47.513 --> 00:22:54.846 - a go-to phrase when he was in the gym with me, teaching me, encouraging me, pushing me to get better. 00:22:55.874 --> 00:23:02.565 - If I wasn't playing well, if I missed a shot, or if I fumbled the ball, he would say, come on, you're 00:23:02.565 --> 00:23:09.126 - shooting like a girl. Or, you gotta do better, you're dribbling like a girl today. And at the time, 00:23:09.126 --> 00:23:15.686 - I really didn't think much of it. That was what people said. He wasn't the only one who said things 00:23:15.686 --> 00:23:21.918 - like that. But years later, I remember reflecting and thinking to myself, well, wait a minute, 00:23:21.918 --> 00:23:24.542 - I am a girl, actually, as it turns out. 00:23:24.770 --> 00:23:32.250 - What exactly does that mean and what am I supposed to take away from that message? And I think in that 00:23:32.250 --> 00:23:39.802 - moment, I really understood that phrase and it became the beginning of something for me because I think 00:23:39.802 --> 00:23:47.064 - what it revealed was something perhaps subtle but also powerful. That even in environments where we 00:23:47.064 --> 00:23:54.398 - are encouraged, even in spaces where people love and support us, there can still be messages, small, 00:23:54.562 --> 00:24:01.604 - often unintentional messages that shape how girls see themselves. Message about what we're supposed 00:24:01.604 --> 00:24:08.717 - to be, or what we're capable of, or how we should show up in the world. And I'll tell you this, this 00:24:08.717 --> 00:24:15.830 - feels even more real to me now than ever before because I have a daughter. She is 13, so yes, ladies 00:24:15.830 --> 00:24:20.478 - and gentlemen, that means I have a teenage daughter in the house. 00:24:20.802 --> 00:24:28.314 - send reinforcements, if you like. The caffeinated variety are preferred. Her name is Susan Indiana, 00:24:28.314 --> 00:24:36.276 - and I think about things differently now. I think about the messages that she's hearing, the environments 00:24:36.276 --> 00:24:44.314 - that she's navigating, and the moments that are shaping how she sees herself, whether we as adults realize 00:24:44.314 --> 00:24:50.398 - it or not. And I think about how much it matters that we have to get this right. 00:24:51.458 --> 00:24:58.763 - Not just for her, not just for Susan Indiana, but for every girl. And the good news is we've come a 00:24:58.763 --> 00:25:06.215 - long way, haven't we? We really have, we've come a long way. Girls have more opportunities today than 00:25:06.215 --> 00:25:14.104 - ever before. More visibility, more examples of strong, capable, successful women in every field imaginable. 00:25:14.104 --> 00:25:20.606 - And that really matters. Representation matters. Opportunity matters. And voice matters. 00:25:21.922 --> 00:25:28.846 - But I think we all know this as well. We're not done yet. There is still a lot of very important work 00:25:28.846 --> 00:25:35.905 - to do, and not just in abstract ways, but right here at home in the great Hoosier state. In my doctoral 00:25:35.905 --> 00:25:42.964 - research, I spent a lot of time looking at the landscape for women in leadership in our state, and what 00:25:42.964 --> 00:25:48.734 - I found was sobering, especially for someone who is so deeply proud to be a Hoosier. 00:25:49.954 --> 00:25:57.521 - Indiana ranks in the lower half of states when it comes to outcomes for women, from economic opportunity 00:25:57.521 --> 00:26:05.305 - to representation and leadership to overall safety and well-being. Women are less likely to hold leadership 00:26:05.305 --> 00:26:12.800 - roles, more likely to face economic barriers, and in many cases, they are still navigating systems that 00:26:12.800 --> 00:26:19.358 - were not designed with them in mind. So when you take a step back and look at all of that, 00:26:19.778 --> 00:26:28.507 - it becomes clear that the work we do with girls today is not just important, it is vital. It is absolutely 00:26:28.507 --> 00:26:36.747 - essential. Because the confidence we build now, the opportunities we create now, the support systems 00:26:36.747 --> 00:26:44.986 - we put in place now, those are the things that shape what leadership looks like 10, 20, and 30 years 00:26:44.986 --> 00:26:49.310 - down the road. And that is why places like this club 00:26:49.538 --> 00:26:57.844 - matter so much because they create something incredibly important. They create space, ladies and gentlemen. 00:26:57.844 --> 00:27:05.842 - Space. Space for girls to try new things, to fail, and then have the opportunity to try to do it again. 00:27:05.842 --> 00:27:13.840 - What a gift that is for a young girl. To discover what they're good at, to build relationships, to find 00:27:13.840 --> 00:27:19.070 - their voice, and maybe most importantly, to begin to see themselves 00:27:19.842 --> 00:27:27.992 - not just as who they are today, but as who they can become. So programs offered like those here at the 00:27:27.992 --> 00:27:36.062 - club, they don't just fill time after school, we all know that, they build confidence, they challenge 00:27:36.062 --> 00:27:44.133 - stereotypes, they open doors, they help girls understand that their ideas matter, that their presence 00:27:44.133 --> 00:27:47.614 - matters, and that their leadership matters. 00:27:48.930 --> 00:27:55.749 - And I've seen it again and again over the course of my research and my work and in my own life. When 00:27:55.749 --> 00:28:02.703 - girls are given that kind of support early on, when they are surrounded by people who believe in them, 00:28:02.703 --> 00:28:09.791 - when they are encouraged to lead, to speak, to try and to stretch themselves, they carry that with them. 00:28:09.791 --> 00:28:16.880 - They carry that forward into high school and into college, into their careers, and ultimately into their 00:28:16.880 --> 00:28:17.758 - communities. 00:28:18.562 --> 00:28:25.778 - And they don't just participate, they lead. They lead. And that is exactly what tonight is all about. 00:28:25.778 --> 00:28:32.924 - It's about making sure that more girls have that experience. It's about making sure that cost is not 00:28:32.924 --> 00:28:40.282 - a barrier and making sure that access is not limited. It's about making sure that every child who walks 00:28:40.282 --> 00:28:47.710 - through these doors here at this club has the opportunity to become the very best version of themselves. 00:28:49.186 --> 00:28:56.533 - We learned this a little earlier in the evening from Leslie. The annual membership to be part of this 00:28:56.533 --> 00:29:04.096 - club is just $20. That is remarkable, just $20. But the actual cost to provide that experience is closer 00:29:04.096 --> 00:29:11.299 - to $750 per year. That gap, as we know, doesn't just close itself. It closes because of people like 00:29:11.299 --> 00:29:18.430 - you. People who show up, people who give, and people who believe, most importantly, that this work 00:29:18.626 --> 00:29:28.277 - matters. And tonight, you, me, we, collectively, we are those people. So as we move through the evening, 00:29:28.277 --> 00:29:38.020 - as you listen, as you reflect, as you consider how you might like to be part of this work, I would simply 00:29:38.020 --> 00:29:48.222 - invite you to think about this. Think about a girl in your life. Maybe it's your daughter, your granddaughter, 00:29:48.834 --> 00:29:58.000 - a student, a neighbor, or maybe it's yourself at a younger age. Think about what made a difference. 00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:07.257 - Who believed in you? Who created space for you? Who helped you to see what might be possible? That's 00:30:07.257 --> 00:30:16.514 - what you're doing tonight for girls across this community, for their futures, and for our collective 00:30:16.514 --> 00:30:18.622 - future. It is an honor 00:30:19.906 --> 00:30:28.400 - to be here with you in support of a cause that is so very near and dear to my heart. And it is a privilege 00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:36.338 - to be part of an evening that is so clearly about building something that is bigger than ourselves. 00:30:36.338 --> 00:30:44.436 - So thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in this work. And thank you for investing in the 00:30:44.436 --> 00:30:49.278 - next generation of smart girls who will become strong women. 00:31:04.034 --> 00:31:11.444 - And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce our keynote speaker for this evening. 00:31:11.444 --> 00:31:18.929 - Jodi Bondi-Norgard is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and changemaker dedicated to breaking gender 00:31:18.929 --> 00:31:26.562 - stereotypes and advancing equality through business, media, and policy. She is the author of More Than 00:31:26.562 --> 00:31:32.638 - a Doll, How Creating a Sports Doll Turned into a Fight to End Gender Stereotypes, 00:31:33.410 --> 00:31:40.885 - a powerful story of Jodi Bondi-Norgard, purpose-driven entrepreneurship, and challenging the status 00:31:40.885 --> 00:31:48.360 - quo. Jodi is the founder of Dream Big Toy Company and the creator of the award-winning Go Go Sports 00:31:48.360 --> 00:31:55.909 - Girls, an innovative line of dolls, books, and apps designed to inspire confidence, encourage active 00:31:55.909 --> 00:31:59.198 - play, and expand what's possible for girls. 00:32:00.290 --> 00:32:07.375 - Her work has been featured in major media outlets, including The Today Show, Forbes, Parents, The Washington 00:32:07.375 --> 00:32:14.070 - Post, and the Chicago Tribune. Very impressive. A recognized thought leader in gender equity, Jodi has 00:32:14.070 --> 00:32:20.766 - collaborated with the White House Gender Policy Council under the Biden administration, the Gina Davis 00:32:20.766 --> 00:32:27.461 - Institute on Gender in Media, and co-chaired the Toy Association's first Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, 00:32:27.461 --> 00:32:29.086 - and Belonging Committee. 00:32:30.242 --> 00:32:37.801 - A TEDx speaker and regular contributor to Ms. Magazine, she speaks across the country on advancing equality 00:32:37.801 --> 00:32:45.011 - for women and girls, sharing insights on entrepreneurship, resilience, and the power of using business 00:32:45.011 --> 00:32:52.990 - to drive meaningful cultural change. Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Jodi Bondi-Norgard. 00:33:09.090 --> 00:33:17.614 - Hi, everyone. Wow. I've gotten, I'm so lucky to know Dana. I mean, seriously, she's like my new best 00:33:17.614 --> 00:33:26.139 - friend. I'm just so happy to have gotten to know her, but I have to tell you, this is my second time 00:33:26.139 --> 00:33:34.494 - being in Bloomington this week. I am a proud Indiana University grad, and I was down for steering. 00:33:34.658 --> 00:33:42.582 - Go Hoosiers. I was down for Little Five. I was part of Student Foundation and we had our reunion. 00:33:42.582 --> 00:33:50.829 - So I was, I'm just thrilled to be back. And like Dana said, oh my gosh, how exciting is it every time 00:33:50.829 --> 00:33:59.481 - I come back to Bloomington and I get to turn onto College Avenue. My heart just keeps going. So I wouldn't 00:33:59.481 --> 00:34:01.502 - be here today without my 00:34:02.242 --> 00:34:11.179 - that I had at Indiana University. Okay, so let's get started here. So again, thank you for having me. 00:34:11.179 --> 00:34:20.291 - So I want to read a little bit about my book, a few quotes from my book to give you an idea of why I've 00:34:20.291 --> 00:34:29.053 - stayed with this mission for so long, why I've persisted, why I've persevered after what seems like 00:34:29.053 --> 00:34:30.718 - 100 plus setbacks. 00:34:31.170 --> 00:34:39.290 - So these are real quotes I heard from toy and publishing professionals. And I'll just read a few to 00:34:39.290 --> 00:34:47.572 - you. Girls who play sports don't play with dolls. Girls empowerment was a trend a few years ago. It's 00:34:47.572 --> 00:34:55.854 - not anymore. You need to add more blonde, blue-eyed dolls and make their legs longer. Generally, kids 00:34:55.854 --> 00:34:58.046 - who are active don't read. 00:34:58.850 --> 00:35:06.053 - A sports doll will never sell because girls like fashion. Can you create a fashion doll? Black dolls 00:35:06.053 --> 00:35:13.327 - don't sell well. Boys don't read books about girls. I love your product, but it'll never sell because 00:35:13.327 --> 00:35:20.601 - it's not mainstream. And it's not a fashion doll. And ultimately, girls like fashion. Do you actually 00:35:20.601 --> 00:35:28.446 - believe any of these? Of course not. But these were actual industry statements, and they weren't just biases. 00:35:28.610 --> 00:35:36.495 - in the industry, they echoed things that I had been hearing my entire life. And maybe you have too. 00:35:36.495 --> 00:35:44.696 - So when I was younger, I was very well aware of my empathy and my compassion and my sensitivity towards 00:35:44.696 --> 00:35:52.739 - others. And I saw it as my strength. But as I got older, I began to hear that I was too sensitive and 00:35:52.739 --> 00:35:57.470 - I was too nice. And even my high school guidance counselor, 00:35:57.922 --> 00:36:05.726 - told me that this was my weakness and that I was too nice to go to college and into business and I was 00:36:05.726 --> 00:36:13.606 - better suited as a secretary or somebody else's assistant just because I was nice. So I'm glad I didn't 00:36:13.606 --> 00:36:21.258 - listen to her, but I continued to believe in my strengths and I created a positive image product for 00:36:21.258 --> 00:36:27.774 - girls. But now I was hearing that I was still too sensitive. Now I was too confident. 00:36:28.002 --> 00:36:36.388 - and too big of a feminist. And my product wasn't needed because women and girls were already too empowered. 00:36:36.388 --> 00:36:44.463 - I started to hear comments that undervalued my achievements, such as, how's your little business going? 00:36:44.463 --> 00:36:52.382 - Or, your little Ted Talk was so cute. I was called a working mom, a super mom, and asked how I did it 00:36:52.382 --> 00:36:57.662 - all, running a business with three kids. I can guarantee my husband 00:36:57.986 --> 00:37:06.578 - Nor any man has ever heard those words. But I bet some of you have. So for the first half of my life, 00:37:06.578 --> 00:37:15.086 - I went along with this BS. I didn't make any waves. I didn't complain. But I kind of felt like I was 00:37:15.086 --> 00:37:23.510 - living in a dimly lit room and my eyes were just adjusted to the twilight. My eyes were adjusted to 00:37:23.510 --> 00:37:27.806 - the twilight. And I thought, man, it has to be me. 00:37:28.866 --> 00:37:37.635 - I have to be changed to fit in. I have to buck up. I have to figure it out. I have to work harder. It 00:37:37.635 --> 00:37:46.576 - has to be about me. But as time went on, I realized maybe it isn't me at all. Because for far too long, 00:37:46.576 --> 00:37:55.603 - women have been told to change to fit in, to toughen up, that we need to be fixed. But here's the thing, 00:37:55.603 --> 00:37:57.150 - we're not broken. 00:37:57.762 --> 00:38:09.745 - It's our system that's broken and our culture that needs to be fixed because women were born to change 00:38:09.745 --> 00:38:19.518 - the world. That is something. That is a belief I have always held, but I heard this 00:38:19.778 --> 00:38:26.418 - term, women were born to change the world. At a conference where I was speaking, it was the Indiana 00:38:26.418 --> 00:38:33.125 - Conference for Women at Indianapolis with another woman, her name is Dr. Tarari Trent. And if you do 00:38:33.125 --> 00:38:39.765 - not know Dr. Tarari Trent, she's worth a Google. She started the schools in Zimbabwe for girls with 00:38:39.765 --> 00:38:46.405 - Oprah. And throughout her presentation, she would say, and women were born to change the world. And 00:38:46.405 --> 00:38:48.862 - it made me realize, it's not enough. 00:38:49.314 --> 00:38:58.268 - for women to know they're capable and strong. It's the world to know we're capable and strong. And it's 00:38:58.268 --> 00:39:06.877 - changing the way the world perceives our strengths. And that starts in childhood. So a lot of times 00:39:06.877 --> 00:39:16.606 - you hear of aha moments in glamorous places, like somebody in a mountain or walking along a beach during sunset. 00:39:17.090 --> 00:39:24.837 - Other times you hear of people having moments of clarity when they're meditating or practicing mindfulness. 00:39:24.837 --> 00:39:32.082 - Me, my moment of clarity, the time I said I see a problem, there must be a better way, and why can't 00:39:32.082 --> 00:39:39.471 - I be the one to fix it? Was that a toy store? Not so glamorous at all. Okay, so parents out there, you 00:39:39.471 --> 00:39:46.142 - will be familiar with this scene. You are running into the toy store with your child by hand 00:39:46.498 --> 00:39:52.541 - because she needs a wrap birthday gift for a party. She's attending in 30 minutes, right? So we've all 00:39:52.541 --> 00:39:58.525 - had those panicky parenting moments. So that was me and my daughter Grace was with me at the time and 00:39:58.525 --> 00:40:04.451 - she was nine and she had just gotten done playing soccer. So she is still in her soccer uniform. She 00:40:04.451 --> 00:40:10.494 - has on her cleats and her shin guards and her hair is in crazy messy pigtails and her face is all rosy 00:40:10.494 --> 00:40:14.718 - with exertion and I tell you this because she looked like a normal kid. 00:40:15.138 --> 00:40:22.417 - on a Saturday afternoon, as we're frantically running up and down the aisles when a line of dolls just 00:40:22.417 --> 00:40:29.907 - stopped me in my tracks. They had on short skirts, crop top, belly button ring, big hair, lots of makeup. 00:40:29.907 --> 00:40:37.186 - I look at my daughter, I look at this doll, I pick up the doll, and the name on the hang tag is lovely 00:40:37.186 --> 00:40:44.606 - Lola. That's the little dolly that did it in for me. That changed everything for me, and I literally had 00:40:44.770 --> 00:40:52.120 - a meltdown. I'm looking at this doll thinking, there's not one parent out there that wants their daughter 00:40:52.120 --> 00:40:59.400 - to look, act, or be called lovely Lola. So I'm pulling all the other dolls off the shelf and it's Sizzle 00:40:59.400 --> 00:41:06.403 - and Sue and Cute Candy and Dazzle and Destiny. Right? I mean, you laugh, but I mean, seriously, that 00:41:06.403 --> 00:41:13.406 - is actually the names. And I thought, this is crazy. I am so sick and tired of it. So I grabbed Lola 00:41:13.406 --> 00:41:14.654 - and I bought her. 00:41:15.042 --> 00:41:21.708 - As I'm scolding the salesperson saying, oh my gosh, look at this doll, it's sexy, you should not be 00:41:21.708 --> 00:41:28.508 - marketing sex to girls. He's like, I'm 16. I'm like, whatever, tell your manager. And I'm running out 00:41:28.508 --> 00:41:35.041 - the door and my daughter's like, mom, mom, mom, stop, stop. Is that the birthday gift for Maddie? 00:41:35.041 --> 00:41:41.374 - I'm like, no, no. I'm buying it to show dad. I need to show dad, which confused her even more. 00:41:42.402 --> 00:41:49.922 - So I did. I brought the doll home to my husband and I said, hey listen, I am so sick and tired of these 00:41:49.922 --> 00:41:57.152 - negative messages that are marketed at girls and I think I can do something about it. I think I can 00:41:57.152 --> 00:42:04.599 - create a positive image product for girls that encourages them to be healthy physically, mentally, and 00:42:04.599 --> 00:42:11.902 - emotionally through sports and physical activity. So it made me realize also that this line of dolls 00:42:12.802 --> 00:42:23.880 - did not scream strong, smart, and adventurous. And I thought, if this is what girls can see, I certainly 00:42:23.880 --> 00:42:35.486 - don't want my daughter to be it. And I was positive that the majority of parents were going to agree with me. 00:42:35.778 --> 00:42:42.676 - As I look back at my entrepreneurial journey, it was that moment in the toy aisle that made me realize 00:42:42.676 --> 00:42:49.373 - something I've always known, that we as a culture, specifically the toy industry, was doing a lousy 00:42:49.373 --> 00:42:56.270 - job showing girls strong, smart, and powerful images. And maybe I couldn't change a culture, but there 00:42:56.270 --> 00:43:00.958 - had to be something I could do, and maybe I could change an industry. 00:43:01.442 --> 00:43:08.207 - So that moment in the toy aisle led me to create a positive image product for girls, be invited to the 00:43:08.207 --> 00:43:15.038 - White House as a thought leader, ultimately sell my business, and now act as an activist promoting girl 00:43:15.038 --> 00:43:21.672 - power, women power, and gender equality. All because of Lola. We're at a first name basis. So I want 00:43:21.672 --> 00:43:28.306 - to share a quote with you. Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. 00:43:28.306 --> 00:43:31.262 - Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men 00:43:31.362 --> 00:43:39.820 - and women, it's about equality, with talent. Genius will not, unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. 00:43:39.820 --> 00:43:48.194 - Education will not, the world is full of educated derelicts and I'm sure we all know some of those. 00:43:48.194 --> 00:43:57.154 - Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. So I will be the first to tell you, I am not a genius. 00:43:57.154 --> 00:43:59.582 - And I'm not overly talented, 00:43:59.874 --> 00:44:09.970 - But while I'm educated, one of my biggest goals at IU was to attend as many fraternity parties as possible, 00:44:09.970 --> 00:44:19.038 - and I was super successful. So for lack of a better word, maybe I'm just average or just normal. 00:44:19.394 --> 00:44:26.322 - but I am persistent and determined, which has been fueled by passion. So persistence is a very common 00:44:26.322 --> 00:44:33.249 - word, but I want to share the definition with you. Persistence is a quality that allows someone to do 00:44:33.249 --> 00:44:39.702 - something that is difficult or opposed by others. And while persistence brings out uniqueness, 00:44:39.702 --> 00:44:45.950 - it's not easy, it comes with baggage, it comes with risk, it comes with fear, it comes with 00:44:46.082 --> 00:44:53.479 - incredible fatigue, but it also comes with joy and growth and ultimately reward. So my moment in the 00:44:53.479 --> 00:45:00.877 - Toya Aya was my moment of clarity, but it was preceded by many situations in my life, big and small, 00:45:00.877 --> 00:45:08.640 - that shaped who I am and how I feel about gender issues. My own personal experiences of gender inequality 00:45:08.640 --> 00:45:10.398 - and gender stereotyping 00:45:10.498 --> 00:45:18.050 - that has led me to know the importance of girls knowing what their minds and bodies can do versus what 00:45:18.050 --> 00:45:25.676 - their bodies look like. And while those gender issues were on my radar for years, for decades, I didn't 00:45:25.676 --> 00:45:33.081 - know what I could do to change things. I didn't know what I could do to make a difference. So I just 00:45:33.081 --> 00:45:35.134 - pushed it aside until I met 00:45:35.586 --> 00:45:42.289 - Oh, and what really started to open my eyes were my three kids. This is when it started all to come 00:45:42.289 --> 00:45:49.059 - together for me. So in this picture are Peter, Grace, and Ben. Peter's the older one. And I show you 00:45:49.059 --> 00:45:55.829 - this picture, and obviously they're a lot older right now, but when my kids were in this age of six, 00:45:55.829 --> 00:46:02.532 - seven, and eight, I saw them as equals. They were equally smart. They were equally funny. They were 00:46:02.532 --> 00:46:03.806 - equally difficult. 00:46:04.322 --> 00:46:11.190 - but I knew they all should have the same opportunity. But in that age range of six, seven, and eight, 00:46:11.190 --> 00:46:18.059 - I started to see a discrepancy of products marketed to girls and products marketed to boys. I started 00:46:18.059 --> 00:46:24.994 - to see products marketed to girls associated with appearance and attractiveness, and products marketed 00:46:24.994 --> 00:46:31.728 - to boys associated with violence and aggression. Now, my sons were never violent or aggressive, and 00:46:31.728 --> 00:46:33.950 - I didn't want to encourage that. 00:46:34.082 --> 00:46:40.415 - And my daughter was always super smart, and I didn't want her to feel that she all of a sudden had to 00:46:40.415 --> 00:46:46.749 - focus on her appearance. And one of my first realizations of this, ironically, was in a toy store. So 00:46:46.749 --> 00:46:53.020 - it was summer, and I wanted to buy a science kit for the kids. So I go into the toy store by myself, 00:46:53.020 --> 00:46:59.291 - and I'm immediately annoyed. Why? Because there is a boy science aisle and a girl science aisle. And 00:46:59.291 --> 00:47:01.278 - I thought to myself, seriously? 00:47:01.730 --> 00:47:08.864 - When did science become gendered now? And I'm like, whatever. I followed directions. I go down the boys' 00:47:08.864 --> 00:47:15.658 - science aisle. What do I see? A bunch of cool things. But in particular, the volcano that explodes, 00:47:15.658 --> 00:47:22.928 - right? The vinegar, the baking soda, the boys have goggles, the thing's exploding. I'm like, great option, 00:47:22.928 --> 00:47:29.790 - great outdoor option, but great option. Now, I'm curious. What is down the girl science aisle? Sure. 00:47:30.210 --> 00:47:37.451 - can be a scientist, but you can make your own fingernail polish, your own makeup, your own hair scrunchie, 00:47:37.451 --> 00:47:44.219 - your own perfume, your own bath bomb. Again, it all revolved around appearance. And again, I didn't 00:47:44.219 --> 00:47:51.190 - know what I could do to make a difference, so I pushed it aside. Until I met Lola. That's when I knew. 00:47:51.190 --> 00:47:53.694 - I want her to be fresh in your mind. 00:47:54.146 --> 00:48:00.427 - That's when I knew how I was going to make a difference. That's when I knew what I could do to create 00:48:00.427 --> 00:48:06.585 - change. But what I didn't know was the long road ahead of me and the battle I would begin to fight. 00:48:06.585 --> 00:48:12.928 - So once I decided to move forward on a positive image product for girls, I needed to figure out, well, 00:48:12.928 --> 00:48:19.087 - what do I do? I know nothing about the toy industry. I know nothing about designing, manufacturing, 00:48:19.087 --> 00:48:23.582 - shipping, whatever. Nothing. I had to ask a lot of questions, and I did. 00:48:24.514 --> 00:48:32.895 - I had to do research first. Were there any sports dolls? None. I was very surprised. I found a lot of 00:48:32.895 --> 00:48:41.195 - baby dolls. I found a lot of drag dolls. Then I found a lined, I found 75 lines of fashion dolls. 75 00:48:41.195 --> 00:48:49.494 - lines of fashion dolls. And then within the fashion doll, I created my own category. It's called the 00:48:49.494 --> 00:48:50.398 - sexy doll. 00:48:51.394 --> 00:48:58.674 - category, sexy fashion dolls. So here's a problem with these dolls. So you see over here, the four dolls, 00:48:58.674 --> 00:49:05.679 - those are brats, B-R-A-T-Z, we all are familiar with brats, yes. No parent wants their daughter to be 00:49:05.679 --> 00:49:12.547 - called a brat. Their feet come off, it's creepy. But the problem with this is that little girls see 00:49:12.547 --> 00:49:19.415 - this in their toys, they see it in their media, they see it in the retail that is marketed to them. 00:49:19.415 --> 00:49:20.926 - So it's human nature. 00:49:21.858 --> 00:49:28.543 - to imitate what you see. And if little girls start imitating the Bradstalls and they wear something 00:49:28.543 --> 00:49:35.696 - like this to school as a young person, what happens? They're shamed. They're told to put their gym uniform 00:49:35.696 --> 00:49:42.782 - on. They're told to call their parents or their caregivers and have a change of clothing brought. They're 00:49:42.782 --> 00:49:46.526 - told that they're suspended. That's the worst scenario. 00:49:46.626 --> 00:49:53.570 - Many of us, all of us have probably heard of those scenarios too. So we're slapping the wrong hands. 00:49:53.570 --> 00:50:00.858 - We're slapping the hands of these little girls who are receiving these confusing and conflicting messages 00:50:00.858 --> 00:50:07.802 - when we should be slapping the hands of the manufacturers and the retailers and the advertisers that 00:50:07.802 --> 00:50:14.677 - are marketing this stuff to our girls. Thank you. So in the center here are the Monster High dolls, 00:50:14.677 --> 00:50:16.190 - and that's by Mattel. 00:50:16.770 --> 00:50:25.013 - And the tagline is, be unique, be yourself, be a monster. Again, no parent wants their daughter to be 00:50:25.013 --> 00:50:33.095 - a monster. But here's the thing with these dolls, be unique. I can come up with about 10 ways in 10 00:50:33.095 --> 00:50:41.418 - seconds that a little girl can be unique without looking like a sexy, creepy cat. So Barbie here looks 00:50:41.418 --> 00:50:43.358 - pretty innocent, right? 00:50:44.130 --> 00:50:52.295 - I had an issue with Barbie in 2015. It just happened that I was in New York at the time, and it was 00:50:52.295 --> 00:51:00.787 - just announced that Barbie, who had just turned 50, made the cover a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. 00:51:00.787 --> 00:51:08.953 - The media is going crazy. Congratulations, Barbie. Congratulations, SI. And my head is spinning for 00:51:08.953 --> 00:51:10.014 - two reasons. 00:51:10.786 --> 00:51:19.000 - Barbie's plastic, it doesn't matter if she's 50 or 150, she's gonna look the same. Secondly, and more 00:51:19.000 --> 00:51:27.535 - importantly, Barbie is a doll, is a toy that is marketed to little girls that are four, five, six, seven, 00:51:27.535 --> 00:51:35.991 - eight years old. Yet, she made the cover of one of the sexiest magazines in our country that is marketed 00:51:35.991 --> 00:51:37.118 - to grown men. 00:51:38.530 --> 00:51:45.480 - This is so creepy and disturbing. Like I said, I'm in New York. I called ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox. I said, 00:51:45.480 --> 00:51:52.361 - you have to have me on your show. This is not good for our girls and this is not good for our boys. 00:51:52.361 --> 00:51:59.518 - And they all said, no. That's okay. They knew I wasn't going away, right? I'm persistent. And they knew 00:51:59.518 --> 00:52:02.270 - I was on to something. So down here are 00:52:03.010 --> 00:52:12.185 - LOL dolls. And I have to tell you, they had nothing to do with my research. But are some of you familiar 00:52:12.185 --> 00:52:21.098 - with the LOL dolls? Yep, yep, yep. So this is designed by, manufactured by MGA, the same company that 00:52:21.098 --> 00:52:30.186 - owns Bratz. So this doll came out in 2018, won the Toy Association Toy of the Year Award in 2018, 2019, 00:52:30.186 --> 00:52:31.934 - 2020. So you think, 00:52:32.098 --> 00:52:39.285 - That's pretty good. Well, I wrote an article about this. So what it was is that they come in a ball, 00:52:39.285 --> 00:52:46.898 - and this guy, Isaac Larian, he made a billion dollars in his first year off of sales, which is incredible. 00:52:46.898 --> 00:52:54.085 - So it was all about the surprise factor. So all the little kids would get this ball, and then they'd 00:52:54.085 --> 00:53:00.062 - open it, and it was a surprise. And part of the surprise was a secret color change. 00:53:00.578 --> 00:53:07.881 - So for instance, if you dip this little dolly in water, her hair maybe comes out pink and the bow comes 00:53:07.881 --> 00:53:14.902 - out white. Pretty cool. But what they didn't disclose, some of the dolls that you dip in water come 00:53:14.902 --> 00:53:21.924 - out with a clothing change, and some had on sexy lingerie. Others had a devil tail on its backside. 00:53:21.924 --> 00:53:29.086 - Others had caution tape over their private parts. And others had shackles on their wrists and ankles. 00:53:30.306 --> 00:53:38.263 - This is happening. Can you imagine sitting around a boardroom table saying, yeah, that's a good idea. 00:53:38.263 --> 00:53:46.375 - Let's add shackles. I mean, I can't even. I can't even. That is insane to me. So I just wanted to share 00:53:46.375 --> 00:53:52.382 - this with you to let you know that the sexy doll stuff is alive and kicking. 00:53:53.122 --> 00:53:59.719 - So, okay, now you can imagine my room is super bright, and I could really see where I was going, but 00:53:59.719 --> 00:54:06.772 - what I couldn't unsee were the harmful gender stereotypes that were everywhere. I saw them in the beautiful 00:54:06.772 --> 00:54:13.630 - girls coloring book versus the brilliant boys coloring book. Let the world hear you war for little boys, 00:54:13.630 --> 00:54:18.398 - let the world see you bloom, I can't see it over here, for little girls. 00:54:18.530 --> 00:54:26.729 - And so what really got me were the t-shirts. Training to be Batman and be a hero for boys. Training 00:54:26.729 --> 00:54:34.928 - to be Batman's wife and I need a hero for little girls. So what this is telling little boys is that 00:54:34.928 --> 00:54:43.291 - this, little boys, you are in the main character and little girls, you are in the supporting role. So 00:54:43.291 --> 00:54:47.390 - let me tell you how this plays out in adult life. 00:54:48.226 --> 00:54:55.491 - A good friend of mine is an attorney, and she became the managing partner of a big law firm in Chicago. 00:54:55.491 --> 00:55:02.686 - And she asked all the partners in the firm to write a paragraph on their everyday duties. Who are your 00:55:02.686 --> 00:55:09.671 - clients? What are your in-house projects? And she prefaced to me, she said, they basically have the 00:55:09.671 --> 00:55:14.910 - same thing, just different clients, different in-house projects. She said, 00:55:15.810 --> 00:55:26.280 - It was so amazing. Every man started his paragraph, I lead. Every woman started her paragraph, I assist. 00:55:26.280 --> 00:55:36.450 - It's okay to tell little boys that they lead, but we need to tell little girls that they lead too. So 00:55:36.450 --> 00:55:40.638 - in my research, I found microaggressions. 00:55:41.122 --> 00:55:48.850 - So these are just, and Dana talked about this, these are things that I heard as well when I was a young 00:55:48.850 --> 00:55:56.281 - girl. For instance, you throw like a girl, you run like a girl, don't cry like a girl, boys will be 00:55:56.281 --> 00:56:04.232 - boys. So these are just small terms that are like paper cuts and they build over time and they're harmful. 00:56:04.232 --> 00:56:08.542 - So these are just confusing and conflicting messages that 00:56:08.674 --> 00:56:17.212 - young people receive at a very young age. And I heard these terms when I was younger. But I also heard 00:56:17.212 --> 00:56:25.668 - them when I was older, too. So my kids and I were visiting my family out in Virginia. And we're in my 00:56:25.668 --> 00:56:33.958 - uncle's backyard, and it's summer, and a beautiful, hot, super hot DC day. And my nine-year-old son 00:56:33.958 --> 00:56:37.854 - says to me, ma'am, will you play ball with me? 00:56:38.146 --> 00:56:45.920 - And I said, yeah, sure, let's play catch. So as I go pick up the ball, I'm getting ready to throw. And 00:56:45.920 --> 00:56:53.844 - I hear one of my uncles say to my family, there were about 15 of us, and I heard him say, hey, everyone, 00:56:53.844 --> 00:57:01.542 - let's watch Jody. Let's see if she throws like an athlete or she throws like a girl. And when I threw 00:57:01.542 --> 00:57:06.750 - the ball, what went through my head, I pray I throw like an athlete. 00:57:08.578 --> 00:57:15.756 - Shame on me. Shame on me. I wish I would have looked at my uncle and said, yeah, I throw like a girl. 00:57:15.756 --> 00:57:22.864 - I eat like a girl. I run like a girl. I play tennis like a girl. I sleep like a girl. I dress like a 00:57:22.864 --> 00:57:30.394 - girl. I brush my teeth like a girl. I read like a girl because I am a girl. And it's nothing to be ashamed 00:57:30.394 --> 00:57:36.798 - of. And it wouldn't have been just a good lesson for my uncle and family, but my kids too. 00:57:37.346 --> 00:57:46.530 - So when the words like a girl are used to mean something negative or bad, it's so disempowering. OK, 00:57:46.530 --> 00:57:55.987 - now I needed some hard facts. And I found that 17 million girls in the US play one sport a year. That's 00:57:55.987 --> 00:57:59.806 - one in three girls play one sport a year. 00:58:00.546 --> 00:58:10.050 - And sports and physical activity is associated with improved academic achievement, healthy and positive 00:58:10.050 --> 00:58:20.012 - body image. It is collaboration. It is teamwork. It is leadership that the girls learn. And those leadership 00:58:20.012 --> 00:58:29.790 - skills extend into adult life, where 400 female corporate executives were surveyed and 94% played a sport. 00:58:29.954 --> 00:58:36.779 - when they were younger. Girls play sports, so should their dogs. So now I needed to get designing. Knew 00:58:36.779 --> 00:58:43.669 - nothing. I'm an okay drawer. Just okay. Very sketchy. I had to figure out what do I do? Well, I measured 00:58:43.669 --> 00:58:50.560 - my daughter and all her little friends that came through the door. I measured their wingspan, the length 00:58:50.560 --> 00:58:57.254 - of their legs, the size of their torso, the shape of their head, and I shrunk it down to make sure it 00:58:57.254 --> 00:58:58.238 - was in correct 00:58:58.370 --> 00:59:05.992 - proportion to a little girl's body. So it took two years from rough draft to the actual debut of the 00:59:05.992 --> 00:59:13.916 - first doll, tennis girl Gracie at the US Open in 2008. And that was my first sale, so I was pretty proud 00:59:13.916 --> 00:59:21.538 - of it. I have no connection to the USTA at all. I just called them one day. I picked up the phone. I 00:59:21.538 --> 00:59:27.198 - called them. I said, this is what I got. They said, great, we'll take 500. 00:59:27.810 --> 00:59:34.171 - And those 500 sold out in six days. I cannot tell you how excited I was. I just happened to be there 00:59:34.171 --> 00:59:40.659 - that year with some friends, and to see these little girls carrying the dolls throughout the park, the 00:59:40.659 --> 00:59:46.957 - grounds, and there was one little girl that was with her parents, and she was holding the hand, and 00:59:46.957 --> 00:59:53.445 - the doll is hanging, and I bent down right to her, and I said, oh, little doll, girl, do you just love 00:59:53.445 --> 00:59:55.838 - your dolly? And her parents are like, 00:59:57.954 --> 01:00:05.981 - And my friends grab me and they're like, yeah, you cannot do that. They don't know who you are. I was 01:00:05.981 --> 01:00:13.850 - just so excited. I saw him on Jumbo Toms. So I knew I was onto something. I knew I had a good idea. 01:00:13.850 --> 01:00:20.382 - And so my next goal was to launch the line of nine dolls at the New York Toy Fair. 01:00:21.026 --> 01:00:28.677 - Everybody comes from all over the world, and this is in February of 2009, to see what the next best 01:00:28.677 --> 01:00:36.329 - thing is. I'm like, it's me. It's me. I was cocky. I was really cocky. I was like, this is going, I 01:00:36.329 --> 01:00:44.286 - am onto something. Well, not so much. I had so many buyers come to my booth and say, oh my gosh, I love 01:00:44.286 --> 01:00:49.566 - your product. My daughter, she plays soccer. She loves soccer, girl. 01:00:49.858 --> 01:00:55.977 - And I'd say, great, how many would you like to buy? I'd always get the hand, oh, no, no, no, no, no, 01:00:55.977 --> 01:01:02.097 - no, no. It'll never sell. And I said, why? He said, ultimately, girls like fashion. Can you create a 01:01:02.097 --> 01:01:08.277 - fashion doll? I'm like, that's my point. As a mother of a daughter and as a woman, I'm positive girls 01:01:08.277 --> 01:01:14.699 - like more than fashion. Plus, there are 75 lines of fashion dolls out there. Why would I create a fashion 01:01:14.699 --> 01:01:18.334 - doll? And I do want to say, I have nothing against fashion. 01:01:18.754 --> 01:01:28.134 - I love fashion. I love when people express themselves. I love how designers are so talented and creative. 01:01:28.134 --> 01:01:36.983 - But does that define a person? Man or woman? Boy or girl? Absolutely not. So I hung in there. But I 01:01:36.983 --> 01:01:44.062 - also knew that mainstream ideas never create change, and I was creating change. 01:01:44.898 --> 01:01:52.961 - So yeah, I hung in there. Well, you don't want to talk to my husband about that, but I did hang in there 01:01:52.961 --> 01:02:00.639 - for five years, for five long years. And if you were to open my books, you would say, whoa, this is 01:02:00.639 --> 01:02:06.398 - a terrible business model because I put everything back into the business. 01:02:07.298 --> 01:02:14.285 - So what kept me going because I didn't I just I knew girls deserve more and I knew I was right. I don't 01:02:14.285 --> 01:02:21.205 - think I'm right about a lot of things. I was right about that. So what kept me going was the media and 01:02:21.205 --> 01:02:23.422 - all the awards I won in the toy. 01:02:23.682 --> 01:02:30.374 - industry, except for the Toy Association Award. I never won that, but whatever. I won all the other 01:02:30.374 --> 01:02:37.134 - top ones, maybe because I didn't have a sexy doll. So anyway, and these are just a sprinkling of the 01:02:37.134 --> 01:02:43.960 - publications that I was in. And the Today Show was the biggest one. And actually, it was such perfect 01:02:43.960 --> 01:02:45.566 - timing when they called 01:02:45.666 --> 01:02:51.317 - I just happened to be in Arizona with my husband. He was there for business. I tagged along. 01:02:51.317 --> 01:02:57.455 - It was February. Who doesn't want to get out of Chicago in February? So I went along with him. And I 01:02:57.455 --> 01:03:03.593 - was lamenting and complaining, like, I just can't figure this out. I'm missing something. Like, what 01:03:03.593 --> 01:03:09.973 - is going on? These buyers are my gatekeepers. And he said, maybe our culture isn't ready for this. Maybe 01:03:09.973 --> 01:03:11.614 - you're ahead of your time. 01:03:12.354 --> 01:03:19.428 - And as much as I wanted to disagree with him, I knew he was right. I knew he was right. He said, 01:03:19.428 --> 01:03:27.012 - you know, maybe it's time to throw in the towel. It just broke my heart. And so he went to his meeting. 01:03:27.012 --> 01:03:34.304 - I went back to bed. And my phone rang. And it said, NBC. And I was like, what? I hit it. And it was 01:03:34.304 --> 01:03:41.086 - a woman. She said, hi, this is Stephanie. I'm a producer on the Today Show. We'd like to do. 01:03:41.282 --> 01:03:48.347 - feature on you. I'm like, I'm alive. I can't give up now. I mean, my husband came home thinking that 01:03:48.347 --> 01:03:55.481 - he would, you know, I'd be sad. I'm like, oh, I'm going to New York. But so anyway, so the media kept 01:03:55.481 --> 01:04:02.546 - me going. The awards kept me going. So I knew I had a pulse on what our culture wanted. I knew I had 01:04:02.546 --> 01:04:09.541 - a vibe that parents wanted better for their girls, too. But the buyers were my gatekeepers. So what 01:04:09.541 --> 01:04:10.590 - kept me going? 01:04:12.194 --> 01:04:20.940 - was my pack, my squad, the people who gave me their time, their talent, a shoulder to lean on when I 01:04:20.940 --> 01:04:30.032 - wanted to give it up. And my favorite, we don't have stairs here. See this woman here in the white shirt 01:04:30.032 --> 01:04:39.038 - in the middle? Yeah? Do you see her? Can you just see her? Okay, yes. Well, she is one of my favorites. 01:04:39.038 --> 01:04:41.982 - And her daughter is here tonight. 01:04:42.338 --> 01:04:52.506 - Kendall Tom. Wave, Kendall. I'm proud to have Kendall here. And Kara has been one of my biggest supporters 01:04:52.506 --> 01:05:02.484 - and editor of my book and author of all the GoGo Sports Girl books. And how I met Kara was a phone call. 01:05:02.484 --> 01:05:07.710 - She called me. Again, my phone said Chaska, Minnesota. 01:05:07.810 --> 01:05:13.523 - I'm like, well, that's intriguing. I've never had a call from Chaska, Minnesota. And so I picked it 01:05:13.523 --> 01:05:18.950 - up. And she said, hi, my name's Kara Tom. I have three little girls. You were six at the time. 01:05:18.950 --> 01:05:24.777 - And she said, we have all the go-go sports girls. And she said, I'm a children's book author, and I'd 01:05:24.777 --> 01:05:30.261 - love to write books for you. And I said, I love that idea. I said, but Kara, there's a problem. 01:05:30.261 --> 01:05:35.973 - And she said, what? And I said, I can't pay you. She's like, that's OK. I just want to be a part of 01:05:35.973 --> 01:05:37.630 - the project. I'm like, deal. 01:05:38.050 --> 01:05:46.501 - But let me tell you, I have been able to pay Kara her royalties since then. But Kara has been by my 01:05:46.501 --> 01:05:54.951 - side, and I couldn't have done it with her. She came to the White House with me. I talked to her on 01:05:54.951 --> 01:06:03.571 - my way today as I was in traffic on 65. So anyway, after five years and after 500 nos, I thought, I'm 01:06:03.571 --> 01:06:06.782 - going to give Toy Fair one more shot. 01:06:07.714 --> 01:06:14.805 - And if it doesn't work out, I'm going to throw in the towel. Well, I get to Toy Fair. I have this crazy 01:06:14.805 --> 01:06:21.827 - opportunity to pitch to three Walmart buyers. I had five minutes. I gave them my best pitch. And after 01:06:21.827 --> 01:06:28.986 - five minutes, they said, this is a winner. If you can write six books to go along with six of the dolls, 01:06:28.986 --> 01:06:33.758 - package them together, we will put them in Walmart stores, or you can 01:06:34.370 --> 01:06:41.307 - I call Kara, I'm like, she had already written one book for soccer girl. I'm like, you have to write 01:06:41.307 --> 01:06:48.725 - five more books. Oh my gosh, we're going to Walmart. And I hired an illustrator and an editor, and together 01:06:48.725 --> 01:06:55.594 - we created the Go Go Sports Girl reading plays that hit Walmart stores in 2015. And that's what got 01:06:55.594 --> 01:06:56.830 - the ball rolling. 01:07:06.402 --> 01:07:13.530 - And that's what got the ball rolling. And in 2016, I was invited to the White House to participate in 01:07:13.530 --> 01:07:20.588 - conferences on breaking down gender stereotypes in media and toys with the Obama administration. And 01:07:20.588 --> 01:07:21.566 - then in 2016, 01:07:21.762 --> 01:07:26.911 - I was having capital issues because my Walmart orders were getting bigger and bigger. And so I was telling 01:07:26.911 --> 01:07:31.868 - this to a friend of mine who worked for a large toy company in Miami called Jazzwares. I said, I don't 01:07:31.868 --> 01:07:36.873 - know what I'm going to do. I need to figure something out. And she's like, well, maybe our company will 01:07:36.873 --> 01:07:41.926 - acquire you. And I said, OK, that would be great, which is hard to have a business acquired. And I said, 01:07:41.926 --> 01:07:46.835 - when are you going to do this? She's like, I'm going to take it to the president right now. I'm like, 01:07:46.835 --> 01:07:51.166 - OK. She called me back five minutes later. She's like, yeah, they're going to acquire it. 01:07:51.426 --> 01:08:00.797 - Wait, what? I'm like, I'm eating a sandwich right now. And you're like, OK. OK. So they acquired it. 01:08:00.797 --> 01:08:10.447 - And I thought my story ended there. Because after all my presentations, I would say, in 2018, Jazzwares 01:08:10.447 --> 01:08:20.190 - and I will empower girls throughout the world until they got cold feet. I know. It's so sad. But anyway. 01:08:20.706 --> 01:08:30.121 - So they pulled the plush dolls. So these are plush dolls. We redesigned the dolls to hard body dolls. 01:08:30.121 --> 01:08:39.350 - OK, so like, you know, plastic. And we were ready to go forward. I had a team of 10, and they hired 01:08:39.350 --> 01:08:48.765 - two new people, George and Jorge. And they did not think this was a good idea. I was able to convince 01:08:48.765 --> 01:08:50.334 - George I was not 01:08:50.722 --> 01:08:57.615 - able to convince Jorge. And so they returned the intellectual property to me, the brand to me, so it 01:08:57.615 --> 01:09:04.440 - was actually the best breakup possible. And I gotta tell you, this is just a side note, guess where 01:09:04.440 --> 01:09:11.470 - Jorge is now? I don't know, he's working for CBS. He's not even in the toy industry anymore. I'm like, 01:09:11.470 --> 01:09:16.862 - oh my God. Anyway, so that's when I knew my journey has been more than a doll. 01:09:17.442 --> 01:09:25.776 - And I'm sounding the siren that gender inequality doesn't start in our teens or in our 20s. It starts 01:09:25.776 --> 01:09:34.109 - the moment a child can watch a show, hold a toy, or a book. So after all of this, after the designing 01:09:34.109 --> 01:09:42.688 - of the dolls, the launching of the dolls, the Walmart story, the wins, the losses, the writing the book, 01:09:42.688 --> 01:09:44.894 - this is what I've learned. 01:09:46.210 --> 01:09:57.478 - It's really not about the toys. It's about the messages and the stories our girls hear about who they're 01:09:57.478 --> 01:10:08.531 - allowed to be and what is possible. Because if she can see strength, possibility, leadership, then she 01:10:08.531 --> 01:10:15.614 - can be it. And that is the power every single person in this room 01:10:16.514 --> 01:10:26.223 - has the power to change and influence. So this is what it all comes down to. What kids see shapes what 01:10:26.223 --> 01:10:35.649 - they believe. Here's how we change it. Show kids things that are different. Show girls as builders. 01:10:35.649 --> 01:10:44.510 - Show girls as strong leaders. Show boys compassion and empathy. This is how we create change. 01:10:44.706 --> 01:10:53.728 - And we need to redefine strength. Strength is not toughness. It's not bullying. It's not name calling. 01:10:53.728 --> 01:11:02.661 - It's not putting others down. Strength is empathy, courage, kindness, compassion, collaboration. That 01:11:02.661 --> 01:11:11.771 - is true leadership. And use your voice in small moments. So if you hear the words, like a girl, or boys 01:11:11.771 --> 01:11:12.734 - don't cry, 01:11:13.186 --> 01:11:24.179 - Call those things out. Call out stereotypes. Ask kids in your life, what do you notice and who is missing? 01:11:24.179 --> 01:11:34.863 - Money talks. All right, ladies in the room, we control 80% of the consumer purchasing power. It is time 01:11:34.863 --> 01:11:39.486 - that we recognize our strength and we use it 01:11:39.586 --> 01:11:48.143 - and we press on together. If you do not like something, don't buy it. If you want to complain, there 01:11:48.143 --> 01:11:56.700 - are websites for you to complain about consumer products. And they're in the back of my book as well 01:11:56.700 --> 01:12:05.342 - as on my website. And if you don't like a product, email that company. They listen. So change happens 01:12:05.342 --> 01:12:06.782 - when we persist. 01:12:07.138 --> 01:12:14.875 - So my big moment happened under ordinary circumstances. And what I have learned is that you don't need 01:12:14.875 --> 01:12:22.688 - to be a genius, overly talent, or a big team to create change. What you need is to take your best idea, 01:12:22.688 --> 01:12:30.350 - step over fear, find your courage, and persist when things get difficult. So I started today with one 01:12:30.350 --> 01:12:36.510 - of my favorite quotes from Dr. Tarare Trent. And I want to leave you with a quote 01:12:36.994 --> 01:12:49.903 - that I love from Madeleine Albright. There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other. 01:12:49.903 --> 01:12:59.646 - And for those who do, there will always be a special place of honor. Thank you. 01:13:19.362 --> 01:13:27.152 - Can we get another round of applause for Jodi? You know, I heard a lot of things from both Dana and 01:13:27.152 --> 01:13:35.176 - Jodi, and I've been just sitting here kind of reflecting on them, but I wrote a couple of things down. 01:13:35.176 --> 01:13:43.044 - I'm a note-taker for everyone who works with me, you know. Dana said, at the Boys and Girls Club, we 01:13:43.044 --> 01:13:48.030 - create space. And I heard a lot of that in what Jodi said, too. 01:13:48.418 --> 01:13:54.469 - Space for girls to try things, to fail and try again, to discover what they're good at and 01:13:54.469 --> 01:14:01.185 - build relationships, to find their voice, and maybe most importantly, to begin to see themselves not 01:14:01.185 --> 01:14:07.901 - just as they are today, but as who they can become. That was a powerful quote. Thanks, Dana. Jodi, I 01:14:07.901 --> 01:14:14.617 - heard you say there's a space for us all. Everybody has a space. I heard you say that whether it's a 01:14:14.617 --> 01:14:15.614 - boy or a girl, 01:14:15.778 --> 01:14:22.693 - Whether it's a fashion lover or a sports lover, there is a place for us all. I also heard you say that 01:14:22.693 --> 01:14:29.407 - there's support, and support matters. That having people in your corner matters. That seeing people 01:14:29.407 --> 01:14:36.389 - that you want to be like matters. Seeing people that look like you in positions of power and leadership 01:14:36.389 --> 01:14:43.305 - matters. Belief matters. Telling someone that you believe in them is a very powerful tool. It matters. 01:14:43.305 --> 01:14:44.446 - And persistence. 01:14:44.610 --> 01:14:49.622 - Matters, I heard that over and over again. Stick-to-itiveness, that you don't have to be the smartest 01:14:49.622 --> 01:14:54.781 - one in the room or the strongest one in the room, but if you're still in the room, after you get knocked 01:14:54.781 --> 01:14:59.891 - over a couple of times or fail maybe 100 times, that's what matters. And so thank you so much for those 01:14:59.891 --> 01:15:04.952 - powerful words. Thank you for those moments you both shared with us of persistence and of who you are. 01:15:04.952 --> 01:15:10.259 - And thank you, more importantly, for just sharing yourselves with us tonight. So one more round of applause 01:15:10.259 --> 01:15:12.126 - for Dana and Jodi. Thank you so much. 01:15:19.490 --> 01:15:25.461 - It's so important to have examples of strong women in our lives. Just drop something that I need. 01:15:25.461 --> 01:15:31.797 - All right, here we go. Jody's a great example of strong women, so is Dana. But strength looks different 01:15:31.797 --> 01:15:37.890 - in us all. It can look loud. It can look quiet. It can look like serving. It can look like leading. 01:15:37.890 --> 01:15:44.165 - And one thing that I've learned from so many women in my life and what we try to teach at the Boys and 01:15:44.165 --> 01:15:46.846 - Girls Club is that it should look like you. 01:15:48.162 --> 01:15:54.127 - It's really important that it looks like you. And there's a couple of women that we want to honor tonight 01:15:54.127 --> 01:15:59.754 - who did that so very well and taught those lessons to me specifically too. One of those women whose 01:15:59.754 --> 01:16:05.662 - quiet strength looked like showing up year after year to serve the ones who need us most was Ellie Rink. 01:16:19.810 --> 01:16:26.194 - Ellie passed away in 2025, leaving a hole in the hearts of many of us who knew her. A hole that can 01:16:26.194 --> 01:16:32.770 - only be filled with gratitude. Gratitude for the memories we have of her leadership, her kindness, her 01:16:32.770 --> 01:16:39.155 - passion, her care, her service, all done, of course, with grace and style, if you knew Ellie. Ellie 01:16:39.155 --> 01:16:45.667 - was connected to the club through the Auxiliary. The Auxiliary has played a powerful role in the Boys 01:16:45.667 --> 01:16:47.646 - and Girls Club for many years. 01:16:48.418 --> 01:16:55.063 - They're a group that funds special projects and shows up for kids over and over again. Ellie joined 01:16:55.063 --> 01:17:01.774 - the auxiliary in 1977 and was the president from 1988 to 1989. On my very first week at the Boys and 01:17:01.774 --> 01:17:08.485 - Girls Club in 2014, one of the first people I met was Ellie Rink. She walked in with food, surprise, 01:17:08.485 --> 01:17:15.262 - surprise, and later I learned that this was not uncommon. Ellie regularly came to the club with food. 01:17:15.778 --> 01:17:21.942 - She came for a Friday meal, a long-standing auxiliary tradition, to give kids a hot meal every single 01:17:21.942 --> 01:17:28.047 - week. A meal that they could put in a to-go container and take for the weekend to make sure they had 01:17:28.047 --> 01:17:34.211 - food over the weekend. And she told me so many stories of how she had fed kids since the 70s and that 01:17:34.211 --> 01:17:40.255 - it was her great joy to make sure kids felt cared for. She also always shared how blessed she felt. 01:17:40.255 --> 01:17:45.150 - Every time I saw her, she shared gratitude. Gratitude for her blessings in life. 01:17:45.666 --> 01:17:51.210 - her husband, her family, her friends, and her community, and she understood that she was blessed, and 01:17:51.210 --> 01:17:56.754 - the gratitude that she felt for those blessings fueled her desire to bless and serve others. Her life 01:17:56.754 --> 01:18:02.624 - was rooted in care for others. She and her husband Larry built a life centered around family and community, 01:18:02.624 --> 01:18:08.276 - raising their children here in Bloomington and pouring themselves into the organizations that made this 01:18:08.276 --> 01:18:13.712 - city stronger. Her greatest pride was her family. Her son Scott, her daughter-in-law Allison, who's 01:18:13.712 --> 01:18:15.614 - here with us tonight, and her four 01:18:15.714 --> 01:18:21.724 - grandchildren, a couple of them who worked at the club over the years, and they carry forward that same 01:18:21.724 --> 01:18:27.618 - sense of kindness and generosity that she showed each and every day. Those of us who knew Ellie would 01:18:27.618 --> 01:18:33.686 - tell you she led with grace, with warmth, and with strength. She didn't look for recognition. She simply 01:18:33.686 --> 01:18:39.523 - saw a need, and she met it. So tonight, we're going to start a Smart Girls Strong Woman tradition in 01:18:39.523 --> 01:18:44.030 - honor of Ellie Rink, and we're going to give the gratitude. So on your table, 01:18:44.386 --> 01:18:50.765 - You have a little stone, and I'm going to ask you to take it out of your bag. And it says on it, let 01:18:50.765 --> 01:18:57.459 - gratitude motivate your generosity. I'm going to ask you to hold that stone in your hand, because Ellie's 01:18:57.459 --> 01:19:03.838 - service and generosity were motivated by gratitude. And tonight, I'm going to ask that we all take a 01:19:03.838 --> 01:19:10.343 - moment to reflect on Jody's words, and Dana's words, and who Ellie Rank was, to pause and think of the 01:19:10.343 --> 01:19:13.438 - things and the people that you are grateful for. 01:19:13.890 --> 01:19:19.144 - And we're just gonna take a minute. You know, they say that thinking about gratitude and the things 01:19:19.144 --> 01:19:24.398 - we're grateful for reduces your anxiety, helps you to ground yourself in the present, and helps you 01:19:24.398 --> 01:19:29.757 - to think about a world that's bigger than just yourself. And so we're gonna take 30 seconds and we're 01:19:29.757 --> 01:19:35.326 - gonna think. And I'm gonna ask that you take a moment and reflect on the things that you're grateful for. 01:20:23.906 --> 01:20:29.656 - Thank you for taking that time to do that tonight. It's powerful when we stop and pause and spend a 01:20:29.656 --> 01:20:35.637 - moment thinking about the things that matter most to us. So I have one more ask of you with this stone. 01:20:35.637 --> 01:20:41.560 - For Ellie, gratitude wasn't just an attitude or a feeling, it was action, motivated action. And I hope 01:20:41.560 --> 01:20:47.483 - that you will take this stone when you leave today and you'll place it on your dashboard, maybe you'll 01:20:47.483 --> 01:20:53.118 - put it in your purse, maybe you'll stick it on your desk at work or somewhere that you'll see it. 01:20:53.570 --> 01:20:58.710 - and it will remind you to let gratitude motivate generosity. Maybe that means taking out your phone 01:20:58.710 --> 01:21:03.902 - and texting somebody that you're thankful for them. Maybe it looks like that support group that Jody 01:21:03.902 --> 01:21:09.094 - talked about, reminding people you're in their corner, telling them you believe in them and you care 01:21:09.094 --> 01:21:14.491 - about them. Maybe it looks like leaving here and signing up to volunteer. We could always use your help. 01:21:14.491 --> 01:21:19.889 - We need tutors. We need people to bring meals on Fridays. There's lots of things you can do, and there's 01:21:19.889 --> 01:21:23.230 - tons of organizations in this community who could use your help. 01:21:24.226 --> 01:21:29.583 - Maybe it looks like giving tonight when it comes time to do that. Whatever that looks like, I would 01:21:29.583 --> 01:21:35.048 - ask that you would reflect on what you're grateful for and that you would allow that to motivate your 01:21:35.048 --> 01:21:40.566 - generosity in this great community, for this community that we all love. Thank you for letting me take 01:21:40.566 --> 01:21:44.798 - some time to honor Ellie tonight. Let's just cheer for Ellie too. We love her. 01:21:51.778 --> 01:21:57.328 - Another strong woman we're going to honor tonight and one of the most memorable women I ever got to 01:21:57.328 --> 01:22:02.988 - know was Ann St. John. Excited tonight to be able to tell you a little bit about Ann and then welcome 01:22:02.988 --> 01:22:08.649 - up somebody who knew her best of all, her sister Jane. When I first met Ann, I was struggling to find 01:22:08.649 --> 01:22:14.587 - my voice as a new professional. And Ann told me, snap out of it. Be yourself. You don't need to be anybody 01:22:14.587 --> 01:22:16.862 - else in the way that Ann does, lovingly. 01:22:16.962 --> 01:22:22.457 - She told me to just be me, to stop worrying about it so much, to stop trying to look like other people 01:22:22.457 --> 01:22:28.058 - and mimic other people, but to just stand in my own strength. Because she told me that nobody else could 01:22:28.058 --> 01:22:33.607 - bring to the world what I bring. And that's true of each one of you. Nobody else can bring to the world 01:22:33.607 --> 01:22:39.261 - what you bring. What you bring has value, and it matters. And Ann reminded me of that very special thing. 01:22:39.261 --> 01:22:41.182 - So in 2021, the club gave its first 01:22:41.282 --> 01:22:47.179 - female staff award at this event, the Smart Girl Strong Woman event, and we decided that we would do 01:22:47.179 --> 01:22:53.018 - this every year, and of course, we would name it after Ann St. John. Tonight, I'm pleased to invite 01:22:53.018 --> 01:22:59.207 - Ann's sister Jane to the stage to present this award and to tell us a little bit more about the wonderful 01:22:59.207 --> 01:23:02.302 - woman who Ann was. Please welcome Jane to the stage. 01:23:21.410 --> 01:23:29.161 - Good evening. Kristen Bateman brings both heart and intention to everything she does. She holds degrees 01:23:29.161 --> 01:23:36.913 - in history and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis, and her path to the Boys and Girls Club 01:23:36.913 --> 01:23:44.515 - reflects a deep commitment to learning and growth. Before joining the Boys and Girls Club, she worked 01:23:44.515 --> 01:23:47.422 - as a copy editor for academic journals 01:23:47.810 --> 01:23:55.021 - and spent nearly a decade as a homeschool parent and co-op teacher, focusing on history at the high 01:23:55.021 --> 01:24:02.521 - school level. Kristen has been part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monroe County for nearly four years, 01:24:02.521 --> 01:24:09.732 - first as a tutor at our Ellitsville Club, and now as Academic Success Director, where she continues 01:24:09.732 --> 01:24:16.510 - to strengthen and expand academic support for members. But what stands out most about Kristen 01:24:16.866 --> 01:24:25.356 - isn't just her background. It's the way she shows up for kids. One of her nominators said it best. She 01:24:25.356 --> 01:24:33.764 - meets kids where they are, speaks to them on their level, and helps them see a path forward. The kids 01:24:33.764 --> 01:24:42.253 - love her, and it shows. That feeling of being seen, understood, and capable is what changes everything 01:24:42.253 --> 01:24:43.902 - for a young person. 01:24:44.962 --> 01:24:52.550 - And that is exactly what Kristen creates every day. She leads the tutoring program, but what she's built 01:24:52.550 --> 01:24:59.849 - is more than academic support. It's a space where kids feel encouraged, challenged, and confident. A 01:24:59.849 --> 01:25:07.726 - place where learning feels possible. Kristen creates a climate of high expectations with kindness, patience, 01:25:07.726 --> 01:25:14.302 - and encouragement. She believes in every child's ability to succeed and works to make sure 01:25:14.402 --> 01:25:21.232 - They have the support to get there. And her impact doesn't stop with the kids. Kristen is the teammate 01:25:21.232 --> 01:25:27.996 - who steps in wherever she's needed. She brings positivity, professionalism, and a steady presence. As 01:25:27.996 --> 01:25:34.694 - one colleague shared, she represents what it means to live the mission. Every decision she makes has 01:25:34.694 --> 01:25:37.214 - someone else's best interest in mind. 01:25:38.082 --> 01:25:44.892 - Because of Kristen, young people are not only improving academically, they are growing into confident 01:25:44.892 --> 01:25:52.104 - individuals who believe in themselves and their futures. And this is what this award is all about. Tonight, 01:25:52.104 --> 01:25:58.914 - we are proud to recognize somebody who truly embodies what it means to be a strong woman. Please join 01:25:58.914 --> 01:26:04.990 - me in celebrating this year's Anne St. John Strong Woman Award recipient, Kristen Bateman. 01:26:54.786 --> 01:27:05.630 - Okay, I have one more job. Okay. 01:27:35.266 --> 01:27:42.862 - Legacy is an important part of the Boys and Girls Club culture. As the club celebrates its 70th anniversary, 01:27:42.862 --> 01:27:49.900 - we think of the legacy of many people, Ellie and Anne before us especially. Thank you. When we think 01:27:49.900 --> 01:27:57.078 - of the club logo, the old one with the torch, we are reminded that we are responsible for keeping that 01:27:57.078 --> 01:28:03.838 - torch going for the next generation of leaders and change makers. With that legacy work in mind, 01:28:04.002 --> 01:28:13.790 - I'm grateful to share an announcement tonight about a gift that brings Anne's legacy to you in a lasting 01:28:13.790 --> 01:28:23.299 - way. The foundation of Anne's is one that I run with Mary Ellen May, Anne's daughter, and Sue Aquila. 01:28:23.299 --> 01:28:32.062 - It was created from what would have been her retirement. Instead of stepping away, her vision 01:28:32.546 --> 01:28:40.105 - was to give back in a deeper way to this community that she loved and believed in people, especially 01:28:40.105 --> 01:28:47.590 - children and families who were working to build a meaningful future for themselves. She believed in 01:28:47.590 --> 01:28:55.149 - removing barriers so opportunities could take hold. We often hear, as we were reminded earlier, that 01:28:55.149 --> 01:29:02.110 - it costs $20 per year for a child to attend the club. That, however, is for the school year. 01:29:03.330 --> 01:29:11.136 - Summer programming and break day camps can be cost prohibitive to families, $20 per day or $100 per 01:29:11.136 --> 01:29:18.943 - week. Although the club provides scholarships for these programs, the scholarship fund is small and 01:29:18.943 --> 01:29:26.749 - covers only about 30% of the requests that the club receives. This means that the enriching program 01:29:26.749 --> 01:29:33.150 - boys and girls receive during the school year either go away or are significantly 01:29:33.250 --> 01:29:40.962 - are significantly reduced. This is the kind of gap that Anne would have loved to bridge. Through the 01:29:40.962 --> 01:29:48.674 - Anne St. John Legacy Foundation, I am pleased to announce that the club will be able to take a large 01:29:48.674 --> 01:29:54.782 - step forward in making that happen as we are donating $265,000 for their summer 01:30:04.610 --> 01:30:12.471 - Thank you. Anne said thank you. Summer and Break Camp Scholarship Fund. We also required the club to 01:30:12.471 --> 01:30:20.566 - match the gift, that was Anne's insistence, and they have done so through the generosity of individuals 01:30:20.566 --> 01:30:28.505 - in this community, many of whom are in this room. That brings the total available for scholarships to 01:30:28.505 --> 01:30:31.774 - over half a million dollars, or $530,000. 01:30:44.770 --> 01:30:51.625 - It means parents can go to work or continue their education knowing their children are safe, supported, 01:30:51.625 --> 01:30:58.414 - and learning from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. all summer long. It means more kids have access to a place where 01:30:58.414 --> 01:31:05.137 - they belong. And it means more young people have the chance to grow up into who they are meant to be. 01:31:05.137 --> 01:31:12.058 - This gift will also help us long-term support for scholarships, assuring that this opportunity continues 01:31:12.058 --> 01:31:13.310 - for years to come. 01:31:13.826 --> 01:31:19.422 - We are proud to carry Anne's legacy forward. Thank you, Anne, and thank you. 01:31:49.442 --> 01:31:55.904 - Sorry we didn't put tissues on your tables. It's amazing to see how people believe in kids and want 01:31:55.904 --> 01:32:02.690 - to invest in the lives of kids. You've heard it all day today. And on behalf of the Boys and Girls Clubs 01:32:02.690 --> 01:32:09.152 - of Bloomington, thank you very much to the Anne St. John Legacy Foundation and their generosity and 01:32:09.152 --> 01:32:15.873 - their belief in kids. We're proud to carry Anne's legacy forward, and that legacy lives on in the young 01:32:15.873 --> 01:32:18.910 - people that we are serving each and every day. 01:32:19.650 --> 01:32:24.831 - And it's my privilege now to introduce you to one of those young people. One of those leaders who I 01:32:24.831 --> 01:32:30.063 - have no doubt is going to be standing on one of these stages someday. Jayla is our 2026 Youth of the 01:32:30.063 --> 01:32:35.296 - Year, and I'm going to tell you a little bit about her before she comes up and speaks to you all. To 01:32:35.296 --> 01:32:41.150 - be named Youth of the Year at the Boys and Girls Club is the highest honor that our organization gives to a kid. 01:32:41.762 --> 01:32:47.822 - Open to tween and teen members ages 12 and up, this program teaches interviewing, writing, public speaking, 01:32:47.822 --> 01:32:53.434 - and most importantly, finding their voice to tell their own story. Just like Ann St. John helped me 01:32:53.434 --> 01:32:59.157 - to do. Like Jodi does in her work each and every day. And like Dana does, full of all kinds of strong 01:32:59.157 --> 01:33:04.769 - women in here today. So tonight, we're going to do just that. We're going to give Jayla a platform, 01:33:04.769 --> 01:33:07.294 - and she's going to share her speech with us. 01:33:08.034 --> 01:33:14.062 - Jayla is a sophomore at Edgewood High School. She's a dedicated student athlete participating in volleyball, 01:33:14.062 --> 01:33:19.591 - wrestling, track, and field. Did you hear that? Volleyball, wrestling, track, and field. Proof that 01:33:19.591 --> 01:33:25.232 - hard work and perseverance, Jodi, are part of her everyday life. Jayla is an exceptional young leader 01:33:25.232 --> 01:33:30.430 - whose character, resilience, and compassion exemplify the mission of the Boys and Girls Club. 01:33:30.882 --> 01:33:36.331 - As a Youth of the Year for Monroe County, Jayla represents leadership and action. She's grounded in 01:33:36.331 --> 01:33:41.943 - service, integrity, and genuine care for others. She's the oldest of three children in a single-parent 01:33:41.943 --> 01:33:47.610 - household, and Jayla has taken on meaningful responsibility at a young age. Her mother works full-time. 01:33:47.610 --> 01:33:53.277 - Jayla is consistently modeling maturity, reliability, and empathy while balancing academics, athletics, 01:33:53.277 --> 01:33:55.838 - family commitments, and community involvement. 01:33:56.642 --> 01:34:01.639 - This year, Jayla also added another milestone, becoming a new driver. So be careful, Jayla's on the 01:34:01.639 --> 01:34:06.736 - road now. Just kidding. I've heard she's a very good driver, actually. While navigating the roads and 01:34:06.736 --> 01:34:11.784 - learning that parking lots can be surprisingly humbling, Jayla approaches this new independence with 01:34:11.784 --> 01:34:16.831 - the same focus, humility, and good humor that she brings to every challenge. For the past six years, 01:34:16.831 --> 01:34:22.078 - Jayla has been an active member of the Boys and Girls Club. She is a leader in our Alexville Club, guys. 01:34:22.306 --> 01:34:29.033 - She's widely known as a trusted and encouraged friend. She's consistently complimentary to others. She's 01:34:29.033 --> 01:34:35.631 - quick to recognize effort, celebrate accomplishments, and build confidence in her peers. She's a great 01:34:35.631 --> 01:34:42.165 - supporter. Young members often seek Jayla out, not only for her guidance and support, but because she 01:34:42.165 --> 01:34:48.636 - makes people feel valued, welcome, and capable, delivering wisdom alongside with a well-timed laugh. 01:34:48.636 --> 01:34:51.006 - Jayla knows how to have a good time. 01:34:51.298 --> 01:34:56.407 - Jayla embodies the Boys and Girls Club core values of leadership, inclusion, respect, and service, creating 01:34:56.407 --> 01:35:01.137 - a positive environment where everyone is encouraged to succeed. Inspired by the impact the club has 01:35:01.137 --> 01:35:05.914 - had on her growth, Jayla hopes to give back by working as a club staff member in the near future. We 01:35:05.914 --> 01:35:11.070 - just hired her, so she's going to be working at our Elksville club over the summer. Very excited about that. 01:35:15.650 --> 01:35:21.100 - She's going to continue to uplift and mentor and guide the next generation, just like she's had so many 01:35:21.100 --> 01:35:26.340 - do for her at the Boys and Girls Club. Jayla's ability to lead and support others and stay grounded 01:35:26.340 --> 01:35:31.686 - in gratitude makes her truly deserving of our Youth of the Year. She's a powerful example of kindness 01:35:31.686 --> 01:35:37.293 - and confidence and how community comes together to shape tomorrow's leader. So please join me in welcoming 01:35:37.293 --> 01:35:40.542 - our 2026 Youth of the Year, Jayla, to the stage at this time. 01:35:59.170 --> 01:36:06.521 - Hi, everybody. Hello. Thank you for that lovely introduction. Also, before I start my speech, I would 01:36:06.521 --> 01:36:13.801 - like to personally thank Texas Roadhouse, not only for their food, but for the rolls, and especially 01:36:13.801 --> 01:36:21.440 - that butter. But as Leslie said, I did grow up in a single-parent household with my mother and two little 01:36:21.440 --> 01:36:27.134 - siblings. One of them is here today. Justice right over there. She's so sweet. 01:36:27.906 --> 01:36:34.959 - It caused me to definitely step up emotionally as 10 year olds typically don't have to. And I had to 01:36:34.959 --> 01:36:42.013 - fill in a role of being a second parent because as Leslie once again said, my mother works full time 01:36:42.013 --> 01:36:49.485 - at Boston Scientific. She's over there holding a strawberry phone case. Her table's around here somewhere. 01:36:49.485 --> 01:36:56.539 - Hi. Apologies. Now, around 10 years old, I did start coming to the Boys and Girls Club. And at first 01:36:56.539 --> 01:36:57.726 - it was very much 01:36:58.338 --> 01:37:03.741 - uncomfortable for me, not because the club was in any form or fashion a bad space. It was wonderful. 01:37:03.741 --> 01:37:09.144 - But it was very much like going to a friend's house very first time. You know, you're a bit younger. 01:37:09.144 --> 01:37:14.654 - You're very nervous. You've never met parents before and they're awesome. Super warm, super welcoming. 01:37:14.654 --> 01:37:20.003 - Hi, make yourself at home. You do no such thing. Because why would you do that? You just got there. 01:37:20.003 --> 01:37:25.406 - You make sure you know you're very tidy. You make sure not to ask for too much because you know it's 01:37:25.506 --> 01:37:33.398 - Your first time, you're very uncomfortable and you're not used to the space yet. That's what the club 01:37:33.398 --> 01:37:41.445 - was for me. At first, the club was certainly a bit of an uncomfortable space because I wasn't, I wasn't 01:37:41.445 --> 01:37:49.259 - used to not having to take care of somebody else and make sure all their stuff was done on top of my 01:37:49.259 --> 01:37:55.294 - own. And I promise I don't cry as much during these things, but I hate heels. 01:37:55.490 --> 01:38:03.722 - But the club certainly helped me become more comfortable. And one of those things that helped me become 01:38:03.722 --> 01:38:11.874 - more comfortable was the program Smart Girls. It was a very, it was an awesome space. It was a way for 01:38:11.874 --> 01:38:19.948 - me to be able to be vulnerable and share my experience as a girl, first time, kind of nervous, and be 01:38:19.948 --> 01:38:24.222 - able to ask the older staff questions, be able to ask 01:38:24.642 --> 01:38:32.369 - other girls' questions, hear everybody else's stories. And I thought it was super empowering. I thought 01:38:32.369 --> 01:38:39.948 - it was wonderful to get to hear all the wonderful things about, you know, how the world works and how 01:38:39.948 --> 01:38:47.749 - we have to navigate it as young ladies in our current society. And the staff who got me into Smart Girls 01:38:47.749 --> 01:38:53.470 - in particular, her name is Miss Layla. She's not dead, I promise. But, um... 01:38:54.594 --> 01:39:01.354 - She overall really helped make the club a more comfortable space for me. She is very well-rounded both 01:39:01.354 --> 01:39:08.047 - intellectually and, pardon me, athletically. And an example of athletically, I mean, she could do any 01:39:08.047 --> 01:39:14.741 - sport with you, which I thought was also super empowering of the Smart Girls message of being able to 01:39:14.741 --> 01:39:20.254 - be whatever the heck you want, like Barbie was saying, maybe in a different outfit. 01:39:21.282 --> 01:39:30.244 - I'm being so serious. She could do like basketball with you, wrestling with you. She could do fricking 01:39:30.244 --> 01:39:39.294 - ballet if you really wanted to. She had pointe shoes. Hello. If there was also a bar, she'd do... Thank 01:39:39.294 --> 01:39:48.343 - you so much, ma'am. But yes, she could do literally anything you wanted to do with her. She'd make sure 01:39:48.343 --> 01:39:49.822 - you could do it. 01:39:50.722 --> 01:39:57.286 - On the flip side, intellectually, she helped me a lot with math, specifically quadratic equations. Please 01:39:57.286 --> 01:40:03.664 - don't ask about those when I get off this podium. I'm going to be really sad. She also helped me a lot 01:40:03.664 --> 01:40:09.981 - with Spanish, linguistically more so, because remembering Accent Mars was surprisingly the easy part. 01:40:09.981 --> 01:40:15.678 - I highly recommend it. It was very fun. And because of Leila and Smart Girls, I was able to 01:40:15.810 --> 01:40:21.628 - you know, be able to take my shoes off at the door and, you know, maybe ask for a little more food at 01:40:21.628 --> 01:40:27.503 - that parent's house because I finally was comfortable. And now, apparently I'm so comfortable, I'm now 01:40:27.503 --> 01:40:33.208 - working there. Thank you, Leslie, for that confirmation. But thank you all for being here today and 01:40:33.208 --> 01:40:39.083 - being able to hear me in here, Miss Dana and Miss Jody, with all these wonderful stories and all these 01:40:39.083 --> 01:40:44.958 - wonderful messages. Unfortunately, I didn't make a doll, although that was cool. I'll have to buy one. 01:40:46.658 --> 01:40:48.766 - Thank you all for being here. Thank you. 01:41:19.458 --> 01:41:22.366 - I told you jail was a lot of fun. 01:41:22.626 --> 01:41:26.895 - We got to spend some time last week together. We went to Indy for the Youth of the Year competition. 01:41:26.895 --> 01:41:31.417 - So because she was our Bloomington Youth of the Year, we got to go to Indianapolis, and she got to compete 01:41:31.417 --> 01:41:35.855 - statewide for the Youth of the Year. She got to hone her presentation skills. Well, she's getting better 01:41:35.855 --> 01:41:40.124 - and better at this. The first time she did this, she was extremely nervous. She's still nervous, but 01:41:40.124 --> 01:41:44.435 - she's doing really well. And it helps them to figure out how to be themselves. And we've been talking 01:41:44.435 --> 01:41:48.746 - about that a lot tonight, how to empower people to be themselves. And it looks a little bit different 01:41:48.746 --> 01:41:52.592 - for all of us. And so we're so glad that you're here tonight to celebrate the programs for 01:41:52.592 --> 01:41:57.242 - kids, but also to celebrate all of these wonderful people that we're introducing you to this evening. 01:41:57.242 --> 01:42:01.892 - And so thank you again, and we're excited to get into the next part of our program. So the end of our 01:42:01.892 --> 01:42:06.542 - night, what we always love to do is we're here to raise some money for these awesome programs that we 01:42:06.542 --> 01:42:11.375 - have been talking about all night. And so we have some fun ways to do this. We're going to do an auction, 01:42:11.375 --> 01:42:15.934 - and we're also going to just do a fund in need where you can just support the club and sponsor kids 01:42:15.934 --> 01:42:20.492 - in any way. But I am not an auctioneer, so I am not going to do this by myself. And so I'm going to 01:42:20.492 --> 01:42:22.544 - introduce our auctioneer, and he can join me 01:42:22.544 --> 01:42:27.988 - this evening. His name is Paul Wyman, and he's the owner of the Wyman Group. He's a firm in north central 01:42:27.988 --> 01:42:33.176 - Indiana. He's done this for us for years. He's an actual auctioneer. He's a leader in his region and 01:42:33.176 --> 01:42:38.466 - a leader in his profession. He's a president of the Indiana Association of Realtors. He's been honored 01:42:38.466 --> 01:42:43.756 - by his peers all over the state of Indiana. He was a recipient of the NARS Good Neighbor Award for his 01:42:43.756 --> 01:42:47.454 - work on the opioid crisis. He's an accomplished auctioneer. He's raised 01:42:47.618 --> 01:42:52.171 - hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities, and he's, again, done this for us for many years. He 01:42:52.171 --> 01:42:56.725 - donates his time so that all the money that we raise can go to kids and families, which we love. And 01:42:56.725 --> 01:43:01.323 - Paul is also a United States Air Force veteran, so thank him for his service. Would you thank him for 01:43:01.323 --> 01:43:02.270 - his service with me? 01:43:07.682 --> 01:43:13.567 - Very proud of our veterans. He served in Operation Desert Shield in 1990. He was honored as Airman of 01:43:13.567 --> 01:43:19.452 - the Year and finished his military experience at Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana. He's been awarded 01:43:19.452 --> 01:43:25.337 - the Key to the City for Kokomo. He's been the Businessperson of the Year for the Chamber of Commerce. 01:43:25.337 --> 01:43:31.107 - He's won, I can't even read all these awards that he's won. He's won many awards. But let's welcome 01:43:31.107 --> 01:43:35.838 - up Paul up here to help us get rolling for our evening. I already used your book. 01:43:36.258 --> 01:43:42.978 - You sure, bro? Yeah, up to you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Well, let's give it up for Leslie. 01:43:42.978 --> 01:43:50.048 - How about it? Is she unbelievable? Leslie, you just, you have taken the reins here and it's just off 01:43:50.048 --> 01:43:56.838 - the charts. So congratulations. And how about we give Jodi a big hand? Jodi, that was absolutely 01:43:56.838 --> 01:44:04.188 - unbelievable. So I had no connection to Jodi before our event this evening. And during her presentation, 01:44:04.188 --> 01:44:04.958 - Jodi and I 01:44:05.186 --> 01:44:13.202 - I found out have an incredible connection. So she put on the screen a quote from Calvin Coolidge, and 01:44:13.202 --> 01:44:21.533 - in my wallet for the last 35 years of my life, laminated is the Calvin Coolidge quote, some want success, 01:44:21.533 --> 01:44:29.628 - others must have it. And Jodi, your whole talk was so inspirational. Thank you for being here tonight. 01:44:29.628 --> 01:44:32.222 - Let's give her another big hand. 01:44:38.210 --> 01:44:47.121 - So listen, today I had the privilege at lunchtime of presenting a grant to the Boys and Girls Club in 01:44:47.121 --> 01:44:48.606 - Tipton, Indiana. 01:44:49.090 --> 01:44:56.495 - And then I get to drive here to God's country and participate in the Boys and Girls Club event tonight. 01:44:56.495 --> 01:45:03.616 - And just like our ladies that spoke earlier when I turned onto College Avenue, oh my gosh, you just 01:45:03.616 --> 01:45:11.235 - feel great coming here to Bloomington. And I had this opportunity when you're driving that long to reflect 01:45:11.235 --> 01:45:18.142 - on things. And if you're hitting two Boys and Girls Clubs in one day, you can't help but reflect 01:45:19.138 --> 01:45:25.948 - on what's happening inside of the walls of these organizations. There are kids in the morning when they 01:45:25.948 --> 01:45:32.495 - get up and they're looking in that mirror before they go to school, and some of them are absolutely 01:45:32.495 --> 01:45:39.108 - dreading it. Some kids are in really difficult situations. Maybe it's a family situation. Maybe it's 01:45:39.108 --> 01:45:45.918 - they're not accepted at school. Maybe they're bullied. They're in some sort of disadvantaged situation. 01:45:47.778 --> 01:45:55.487 - and they're nervous about their day. But the one thing I know they have to look forward to is to come 01:45:55.487 --> 01:46:03.272 - here in the afternoon and to walk through the doors of a boys and girls club and experience what Jayla 01:46:03.272 --> 01:46:10.905 - did and experience that love and that connection and that empowerment and encouragement. And in this 01:46:10.905 --> 01:46:16.574 - case today, for smart girls and strong women, look at Jayla as an example. 01:46:17.442 --> 01:46:23.993 - Look at the other girls that are coming up through the program and have this incredible shot at life 01:46:23.993 --> 01:46:30.479 - because of people like Leslie, the staff, the board, the volunteers. And so I just always encourage 01:46:30.479 --> 01:46:37.030 - people when I travel to communities and get to talk, especially when I get to talk about youth, that 01:46:37.030 --> 01:46:43.516 - we as leaders in our communities, this is our moment now. This is where we step up and say to folks 01:46:43.516 --> 01:46:46.046 - like Leslie, the volunteers and Jayla, 01:46:46.754 --> 01:46:52.244 - We're still right here, right along beside you. And this is our moment to contribute and make sure our 01:46:52.244 --> 01:46:57.628 - program like this here in Bloomington, Indiana continues for years. So let's raise some money, let's 01:46:57.628 --> 01:47:02.959 - have some fun. And we've got a few great auction items. And maybe before we do those, we wanna do a 01:47:02.959 --> 01:47:08.076 - little bit of warmup or something. I think we should do a little warmup. Can we get the mic on? 01:47:08.076 --> 01:47:13.726 - There we go, okay. There we go. I think we should do a little warmup. Everybody get your bid numbers out. 01:47:14.530 --> 01:47:19.345 - All right, everybody got one. Use them as a fan. Yep, good job. All right, so put your bid number up 01:47:19.345 --> 01:47:24.399 - if you are a strong woman. Wave at me. Put your bid number up if you are raising a strong woman or raised 01:47:24.399 --> 01:47:29.357 - a strong woman. Put your bid number up at me. Put your bid number up if you were influenced by a strong 01:47:29.357 --> 01:47:34.458 - woman. Yeah, put your bid number up if you want to support girls in this community and you want to support 01:47:34.458 --> 01:47:39.321 - the Boys and Girls Club. Wave at me. All right, okay, I think we're all warmed up. That's all you got 01:47:39.321 --> 01:47:40.990 - to do. Just keep those numbers up. 01:47:41.154 --> 01:47:46.237 - Keep throwing those numbers up for us. We'll have plenty of opportunity for you to bid tonight. Some 01:47:46.237 --> 01:47:51.270 - of these packages you can go in together, and so look around at your friends and say, hey, will you 01:47:51.270 --> 01:47:56.403 - throw in 100? I'll throw in 100, and we'll go in on this together. But this will be a lot of fun, and 01:47:56.403 --> 01:48:01.486 - we'll do a couple of items tonight, and then we'll get into our sponsoring of children. So thank you 01:48:01.486 --> 01:48:06.670 - for what you're about to do. All right, so definitely a couple items that you'll be able to go in with 01:48:06.670 --> 01:48:09.086 - with people at your table. And again, remember, 01:48:09.346 --> 01:48:16.291 - Tonight, if you are the winning bidder and you really push the limits and bid high, you do not have 01:48:16.291 --> 01:48:23.235 - to pay tonight. You can pay throughout the course of the rest of the year, is that correct? So it's 01:48:23.235 --> 01:48:30.319 - almost kind of like a pledge you're making tonight and you can make payments as you go. But one thing 01:48:30.319 --> 01:48:36.222 - has changed since the last time I was with you all, a national championship. Oh boy. 01:48:39.586 --> 01:48:47.550 - I know you all heard me cheering all the way from Kokomo, Indiana. That was a special moment. And so 01:48:47.550 --> 01:48:54.725 - our first auction package tonight is gonna be all about this wonderful Hoosier moment that 01:48:54.725 --> 01:49:02.610 - we all experienced. The first package is an IU football experience. So you're gonna get to watch IU 01:49:02.610 --> 01:49:09.470 - Hoosiers take on the Purdue Boilermakers. By the way, did you know that the toothbrush 01:49:09.570 --> 01:49:17.848 - was invented at Purdue University. You know why we know that? Because if it would have been invented 01:49:17.848 --> 01:49:26.044 - anywhere else, it would have been called the teeth brush. All right. I took a few seconds for a few 01:49:26.044 --> 01:49:34.732 - of you to get there, that's okay. But listen, we're gonna play the Boilermakers on the 28th. Two tickets, 01:49:34.732 --> 01:49:38.174 - check this out. Two tickets, section 111, 01:49:38.498 --> 01:49:46.962 - Row 21, seats one and two. Not only are you getting two tickets to the Purdue game, you're gonna get 01:49:46.962 --> 01:49:55.594 - a pregame access to the stadium where you get to watch the guys warm up, and it's all gonna come along 01:49:55.594 --> 01:50:04.225 - with a signed football by Coach Signetti. Two tickets, on the field watching warmups, signed football, 01:50:04.225 --> 01:50:05.566 - Coach Signetti. 01:50:06.658 --> 01:50:11.428 - This is gonna be a lot of fun, ladies and gentlemen. Here we go. Hey there, say there, what do you get 01:50:11.428 --> 01:50:16.245 - there now? Somebody give me $1,000. Anybody got a bit of 1,000, one time, little bit of 1,000? Somebody 01:50:16.245 --> 01:50:20.923 - give me $500. Worth that all day, 500 all across the room. I'm taking first 500 over here. I'm gonna 01:50:20.923 --> 01:50:25.601 - bid five, now six. Little bit of 600, one time, I'm gonna bid 500, 600. Now $700. Looking for seven, 01:50:25.601 --> 01:50:30.279 - now eight. Yep, everybody wait one time, little bit of 800. 800, now nine to nine to nine, one time, 01:50:30.279 --> 01:50:35.096 - little bit of 9,000, now $1,000. I got 1,000, now 11. Little bit of 1,000, one time, little bit of 100. 01:50:35.096 --> 01:50:36.624 - 100, one time, little bit of 11. 01:50:36.624 --> 01:50:42.862 - one time. Got it. Now $1,200. I'm going for $1,200. Anybody going to $1,200? I'm at $1,100 now. Anybody 01:50:42.862 --> 01:50:48.980 - else want to come in? $1,200 now. $1,300. A little bit of $1,300 one time. $1,300. I'm at $1,200. You 01:50:48.980 --> 01:50:54.078 - can go up one more time. Whoever's on the phone wants to do that for $1,300. $1,300. 01:50:57.282 --> 01:51:03.149 - I'm just going to let the bit, oh, I got 13 on this side of the room. Now 14, you're out. Now 1,400, 01:51:03.149 --> 01:51:09.190 - come back in a little bit of 14 one time. 1,400, anybody go to the four. I'm at three, now four. Three, 01:51:09.190 --> 01:51:15.115 - now four, a little bit of four. Anybody go to 400. 14, now $1,500, a little bit of 15. The football's 01:51:15.115 --> 01:51:20.924 - worth that. $1,500, a little bit of 15 one time. $1,500, I've got that now. 16, a little bit of six 01:51:20.924 --> 01:51:26.558 - one time. $1,600, anybody go to the six, a little bit of six one time. 1,600, I'm at 15, now 16. 01:51:26.850 --> 01:51:33.082 - We've got that now, $1,700. We're on a roll, ladies and gentlemen. This is an auction. Anybody got a 01:51:33.082 --> 01:51:39.252 - 17? A little bit of 17 one time. A little bit of 1,700. 17 one time. I'm at 16. There's 17 now, 18. 01:51:39.252 --> 01:51:45.730 - Yeah, but that would do eight one time. A little bit of 800 now. 1,800. 18 we've got it. 19. We're gonna 01:51:45.730 --> 01:51:52.702 - get to two. We're gonna get to two. 1,900. A little bit of nine to nine to nine one time. A little bit of 1,900. 01:51:52.898 --> 01:52:00.481 - One time, there it is, $2,000 now. Anybody going to get a little bit of $2,000 one time? $2,000 now, 01:52:00.481 --> 01:52:07.613 - one, $2,100, $2,100. Anybody going to get a little bit of one one time? $2,100. I'm at $2,000. 01:52:07.613 --> 01:52:15.196 - I'm at $2,000. Anybody? Oh, is that a bid? You, okay. I just want to be clear. At a $2,000 bid, that 01:52:15.196 --> 01:52:21.502 - was the time you chose to wave to your friend across the room. That was the moment. 01:52:22.402 --> 01:52:34.427 - All right, I'm at $2,000. You sure you don't want $2,100? Anybody else? I'm going once at $2,000. Anybody 01:52:34.427 --> 01:52:46.338 - else now? $2,000 going twice. Sold for $2,000. Brian, you're not going to believe this, but we can match 01:52:46.338 --> 01:52:52.350 - another package just like that if you're interested. 01:52:53.570 --> 01:53:04.641 - Sold $2,000. 2-2. Bitter $3.56. Ladies and gentlemen, that's $4,000 right there, ladies and gentlemen. 01:53:04.641 --> 01:53:15.389 - Absolutely wonderful. All right. The generosity is rolling. All right. We have one more IU football 01:53:15.389 --> 01:53:21.086 - experience. You're going to get two tickets. Row 30. 01:53:21.570 --> 01:53:28.183 - Section 7, no stairs, straight to the 50-yard line, ladies and gentlemen. This is going to be on September 01:53:28.183 --> 01:53:34.364 - 19th against Western Kentucky. You will also get pregame access to the stadium and be able to watch 01:53:34.364 --> 01:53:40.668 - the guys warm up. So you're sitting on the 50-yard line, you're going straight there, you're going to 01:53:40.668 --> 01:53:45.118 - get access to the field before the game, and you're going to get to see 01:53:45.346 --> 01:53:50.286 - whatever they do in Western Kentucky. All right, here we go, ladies and gentlemen. Somebody give me 01:53:50.286 --> 01:53:55.374 - $500. Anybody gonna file a little bit of $500? 50-yard line, $500 to sit on the 50-yard line. See your 01:53:55.374 --> 01:53:56.510 - championship Hoosiers. 01:53:56.962 --> 01:54:03.307 - 500, I'm going to be five now, 600. Anybody go to six, a little bit of six one time, $600. Anybody go 01:54:03.307 --> 01:54:09.652 - to six, 500 now six. Looking for $600. Anybody going to go 600, 600 now $700. Little bit of seven one 01:54:09.652 --> 01:54:16.121 - time, little bit of seven one time, 650. How about 650? Come back in at $650. Anybody going to go seven 01:54:16.121 --> 01:54:22.466 - one time, little bit of 700 one time, anybody go to seven. How about 650? Somebody come in at 650. 50 01:54:22.466 --> 01:54:23.710 - yard line, pregame. 01:54:25.730 --> 01:54:31.035 - Can I bid as the auctioneer? Because I would love that. I feel like this is too cheap. I'm going to 01:54:31.035 --> 01:54:36.606 - take $700. $700 for the auctioneer. I'm coming back to Bloomington, baby. $700. Anybody else? Now, don't 01:54:36.606 --> 01:54:42.018 - be trying to run me up back there. Now, I know what's about to happen. I know what's about to happen. 01:54:42.018 --> 01:54:47.429 - All right. I'm at $7. Anybody going to go $50? $7. I'll have it. I'm going to have a little bit. I'll 01:54:47.429 --> 01:54:50.878 - have one time. Looking for $750. I'm at $700. Look at her. $750. 01:54:51.202 --> 01:54:59.620 - All right, I know it's going to go 750 now 800 anybody going away. Yeah, but every one time look over 01:54:59.620 --> 01:55:08.286 - $800 anybody going to wait 800 $800 750 over here going once anybody else come back in at 800 just money 01:55:08.286 --> 01:55:14.558 - Paul. What's that? Just money you want to do 800 800 850 850 900 950. Boom. 01:55:15.426 --> 01:55:23.335 - Thousand. Thousand for you? Thousand. This is becoming an expensive trip to Bloomington all of a sudden. 01:55:23.335 --> 01:55:31.998 - I'm going once at $9.50. I know she wants it. I'm going twice. Anybody else at $1,000? Sold $950. Congratulations. 01:55:38.946 --> 01:55:46.282 - All right, ladies and gentlemen, this next one is going to be a fun family lake day experience. So we 01:55:46.282 --> 01:55:53.545 - got warm weather coming up, an exciting day on the lake. Here's what you're going to get for the day 01:55:53.545 --> 01:56:00.809 - on the lake. A 24-foot pontoon boat rental for you and nine of your closest friends or family. So 10 01:56:00.809 --> 01:56:03.326 - of you total. Towels, totes, and a 01:56:03.682 --> 01:56:10.393 - that's like a big-time cooler, all donated by German American Bank. And that's going to help keep your 01:56:10.393 --> 01:56:16.908 - drinks nice and cold for the day when you're on the pontoon boat. So all that's covered. Raise your 01:56:16.908 --> 01:56:23.358 - paddles for some summer fun, ladies and gentlemen. It's you and nine others, 10 total on the boat. 01:56:23.650 --> 01:56:42.110 - For a day, somebody give me 500, anybody give me 500, 500, 600, 700, 700, 800, 800, now $1,000. 01:56:42.178 --> 01:56:49.073 - $1,000, 10 people, 100 a person at this moment. 10 people, there's 1,000, now 1,100. Anybody got $11, 01:56:49.073 --> 01:56:56.170 - 11 at one time, 11, 1,100, look over 100, 100, 100 more, 100 more, another $1,000, look over 11, anybody 01:56:56.170 --> 01:57:02.930 - got 11 at one time? We're at 1,000, anybody else you want back here for 10, 50? This is a hair over 01:57:02.930 --> 01:57:09.284 - 100 a person. There's 10, 50 right there, 10, 50, now 1,100. Anybody got $11, 11 at one time, 01:57:09.284 --> 01:57:10.974 - anybody 11, give me 100, 01:57:11.106 --> 01:57:21.302 - 1,100, anybody gonna go? There's 1,100, now 12. 1,100, now 12, anybody 12? Anybody 12 one time? Looking 01:57:21.302 --> 01:57:31.400 - for $1,200. 1,200, I'm going once at 1,100. I'm going twice at 1,100. Last chance. I'm sold right here 01:57:31.400 --> 01:57:37.086 - for $1,100. Great purchase. Bitter number. Bitter number. 01:57:38.178 --> 01:57:45.712 - 312, that's absolutely awesome, thank you. All right, so look, it's summertime, the students are gonna 01:57:45.712 --> 01:57:53.026 - be gone, and so we're gonna create this little staycation right here in Bloomington, Indiana. We've 01:57:53.026 --> 01:58:00.487 - put together the best Bloomington overnight experience for you. You get shopping at Lola and Company, 01:58:00.487 --> 01:58:06.558 - dinner at Janco's for their delicious steak dinner, drinks at the Dunkirk Library, 01:58:07.426 --> 01:58:14.621 - Bloomington's newest speakeasy, and you're gonna get some cool custom cocktails there. You're also gonna 01:58:14.621 --> 01:58:21.747 - get an overnight stay at the Posh Hotel. It's a five-star 45-room boutique hotel right here on Kirkwood 01:58:21.747 --> 01:58:28.873 - Avenue. So grab your favorite friend, let's raise your paddle tonight, and let's make it a great girls' 01:58:28.873 --> 01:58:30.654 - night out in Bloomington. 01:58:30.850 --> 01:58:36.132 - or a guy's night or however you want to do it. We don't really care who you take. We just want you to 01:58:36.132 --> 01:58:41.672 - bid high. So here we go. Somebody give me $1,000 right there. I'm going to bid $1,000, $1,000, now $1,100. 01:58:41.672 --> 01:58:46.954 - Anybody going to $1,100, I'm going to bid $1,100 one more time. Anybody going to $1,100, I'm going to 01:58:46.954 --> 01:58:52.236 - $1,000. Look over $11. Anybody going to go $11 one time? $1,000. How about $10.50? Anybody want to go 01:58:52.236 --> 01:58:57.414 - $10.50? Looks like you're going to be getting yourself a nice staycation here. $1,100. Anybody else 01:58:57.414 --> 01:59:00.158 - come back in? It's a beautiful night in Bloomington. 01:59:00.514 --> 01:59:08.625 - I'm going once at $1,000. Anybody else? I'm going twice at $1,000. Great purchase, sold, $1,000. Give 01:59:08.625 --> 01:59:16.974 - her a hand. Yeah, bitter number, hold up your bitter number one more time. Bitter number 338. All right, 01:59:16.974 --> 01:59:25.005 - this is one where you're definitely, your table can all go in together. And if you're a foodie, this 01:59:25.005 --> 01:59:30.014 - is gonna be for you. Tony Mossman, am I saying his name right? 01:59:30.114 --> 01:59:38.883 - Moseman, Tony Moseman, is an experienced chef in our community, and he's gonna be whipping up six courses. 01:59:38.883 --> 01:59:47.161 - She, yeah, how about that? She, smart girls, strong women, she chef, she chef, in the community, and 01:59:47.161 --> 01:59:55.274 - she's gonna be whipping up six courses, complete with drink pairings. This is for up to 10 people, 01:59:55.274 --> 01:59:59.454 - all right? So check this out, six to 10, you pick. 02:00:01.058 --> 02:00:08.341 - Sometime in the next four months you're gonna book this with Toni. Here's what she's gonna be doing. 02:00:08.341 --> 02:00:15.696 - She's gonna have an assortment of deviled eggs and she's gonna pair them with some champagne. There's 02:00:15.696 --> 02:00:22.980 - gonna be like jalapeno poppers, loaded egg bites, dirty martinis, citrus salad paired with Sauvignon 02:00:22.980 --> 02:00:29.758 - Blanc, Spanish seafood paella paired with Blanco wine, flan, vanilla or cinnamon for dessert. 02:00:30.754 --> 02:00:37.697 - This is gonna be at Tony's home. And you guys know Tony, she's a famous chef. She's been a huge supporter 02:00:37.697 --> 02:00:44.575 - of the Boys and Girls Club. And this is a sample menu. My gut tells me since she's a chef, if your group 02:00:44.575 --> 02:00:51.256 - really wants something special, oh, she'll come to your house. She'll travel. She will travel to your 02:00:51.256 --> 02:00:57.086 - home, up to 10 people. So I hope you're talking amongst yourselves for your group of 10. 02:00:58.274 --> 02:01:03.006 - Here we go, a special night, your own private chef, your own private party. 02:01:03.490 --> 02:01:09.326 - Who's giving me $1,000 to start out the gate? A little bit of $1,000 on a private party for 10 people. 02:01:09.326 --> 02:01:14.822 - I got $1,000 right here, $1,100, now $1,200. $1,100, now $1,200. A little bit of $1,200. $1,200. 02:01:14.822 --> 02:01:20.884 - I got $1,200. Now $1,300. $1,400. A little bit of $1,400. Anybody got a $1,400? I'm at $1,300. Now $1,400. 02:01:20.884 --> 02:01:26.833 - I'm at $1,400. Anybody got a $1,400? Got $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. 02:01:26.833 --> 02:01:30.686 - $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1,400. $1, 02:01:30.786 --> 02:01:34.654 - Come back in, man, for 1,700. 02:01:34.978 --> 02:01:40.569 - There's 17 in the middle of the room. Now, 18. Yeah, but wait one time. 1,800. Now, 19. $2,000 bid. 02:01:40.569 --> 02:01:46.383 - Now, 21. Now, 22. Looking for 2. Anybody going to go 2? A little bit of 2. One time. Looking for 2,200. 02:01:46.383 --> 02:01:52.085 - I'm at 21 in the middle of the room. Now, 22. There's 2. Now, 3. 2, now 3. Now, 4. 3, now 4. A little 02:01:52.085 --> 02:01:57.676 - bit of 4. Anybody going to go 400? I'm at 300 in the middle of the room. 2,400. Anybody going to go 02:01:57.676 --> 02:02:03.267 - 4? A little bit of 4. One time. Looking for 400. There it is. Now, 5. $2,500. Anybody to 5? Now, 6. 02:02:03.267 --> 02:02:04.944 - How about 600? 2,600. Now, 7. 02:02:04.944 --> 02:02:11.056 - A little bit of seven one time. A little bit of seven seven is heaven. There it is now. You have a little 02:02:11.056 --> 02:02:16.823 - bit of eight one time. Look over 800. Look over 2,800. I'm at seven now. 27 now, eight. Anybody got 02:02:16.823 --> 02:02:22.589 - an eight? A little bit of eight one time. There's 800 now. $2,900. A little bit of nine. Anybody do 02:02:22.589 --> 02:02:28.241 - 900? 29 one time. There it is. Let's get to three. $3,000. Anybody got a three? You'll be a hero. 02:02:28.241 --> 02:02:34.526 - There's $3,000! Whoo! Hey, when you get the 4,000, they're gonna cheer just as loud for you, so you're okay. 02:02:34.690 --> 02:02:40.768 - All right, here we go. 3,100, come back in at 3,100. There's one, now two. One, now two, a little bit 02:02:40.768 --> 02:02:46.845 - of two. Anybody with 200, 3,200, 32, you're out. Come back in, 32. Now 33, 33 one time, little bit of 02:02:46.845 --> 02:02:52.863 - three. Anybody got a 300? Now four, 3,400, little bit of four. Anybody 400? Sir, you're welcome back 02:02:52.863 --> 02:02:58.822 - in at any time. 400, $3,400. Now 500, 35, little bit of five. We got five, now 600. Let her have an 02:02:58.822 --> 02:03:02.814 - opportunity to get a cheer, please. 3,600, get her to four. 3,600. 02:03:03.970 --> 02:03:11.456 - 36, now 37, 37, 3,800, we're almost there, a little bit eight, one time, you have a little bit eight, 02:03:11.456 --> 02:03:18.941 - $3,800, one time, you almost have it there, sir, do you wanna help her get there? $3,800, 38, anybody 02:03:18.941 --> 02:03:26.427 - in the way, you have a little bit eight, one time, $3,800, 10 people, we're at 3,700, there's 38, now 02:03:26.427 --> 02:03:32.958 - nine to nine to nine, one time, just go right to four, you wanna go right to four? Four. 02:03:34.178 --> 02:03:41.282 - $4,000, ladies and gentlemen. How about a bit, four, now one. Four, now one, little bit of one. Anybody 02:03:41.282 --> 02:03:48.249 - got a 100, one time? Anybody got a 100? $4,100. Do you want to get the five? That's $4,100. She wants 02:03:48.249 --> 02:03:55.421 - to cheer at $5,000. $4,200, little bit of $4,200. Anybody have two, one time? $4,200. Now three, $4,300. 02:03:55.421 --> 02:04:02.320 - There's three, now four. Three, now four, little bit of four. Anybody got a 400? 400, one time. 400, 02:04:02.320 --> 02:04:03.550 - $4,400. Now five. 02:04:03.874 --> 02:04:12.964 - Now 500, 45 one time, little bit of 45 hundred, you're in this now, you're invested. 45 hundred, 02:04:12.964 --> 02:04:22.522 - now six. 45, now six, little bit of six, anybody got a 600 one time? 4,600, 10 people, we're still at 02:04:22.522 --> 02:04:31.518 - a discount, $4,600. Did I mention deviled eggs? We're at 4,600 for you, special for you, 4,600. 02:04:33.890 --> 02:04:41.556 - Little bit of six, one time, 600, 46, got it. Now $4,700. Little bit of seven, anybody got a seven? 02:04:41.556 --> 02:04:49.453 - Little bit of seven, 100, one time, 700. You're out, you're out. Come back in, $4,700. I'm at 46, sir. 02:04:49.453 --> 02:04:57.886 - You want to come back in, 4,700? All right, 4,600. Okay, pay attention to this part now. Going once at 4,600. 02:04:59.458 --> 02:05:08.310 - 4,700. I'm going to 7 now, hey, you have to wait one time, don't let her have it like that. $4,800. 02:05:08.310 --> 02:05:17.162 - I'm going to go eat a little bit at one time. 847, 4,848. All right, I want to try this again. Hey, 02:05:17.162 --> 02:05:26.014 - Paul, I got a deal. If both of you would give $5,000, I'll get you each a dinner with Tony. Oh! Oh! 02:05:26.014 --> 02:05:28.670 - Alison's in. Don, are you in? 02:05:32.226 --> 02:05:43.747 - Wow! Whoo! Don't tell Tony what I just did. I gotta ask her still, but she's good for it. That citrus 02:05:43.747 --> 02:05:55.155 - salad is gonna taste special. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Hey, it's gonna be special. I'll tell 02:05:55.155 --> 02:05:58.430 - Bill, don't worry. Oh, yeah. 02:05:58.562 --> 02:06:06.480 - Where are these bitter numbers on that? What's your bitter, fan her off. She is like, yes, 413. What's 02:06:06.480 --> 02:06:13.706 - your bitter number, ma'am? Allison, bid number. What's your bitter number, Allison? 411, 411. 02:06:13.706 --> 02:06:21.393 - Thank you, thank you, thank you. Give them one more hand, ladies and gentlemen. All righty, this is 02:06:21.393 --> 02:06:28.542 - our last auction item here, ladies and gentlemen, and it's for women basketball enthusiasts. 02:06:29.218 --> 02:06:36.238 - You're gonna get four tickets to go watch powerhouse Caitlin Clark and the Fever. Four Fever tickets. 02:06:36.238 --> 02:06:43.397 - You get to go see Caitlin at Game Bridge Stadium. If that's not enough, then we're gonna bring you back 02:06:43.397 --> 02:06:50.692 - to Bloomington to watch IU women's basketball team on their home court. They haven't announced the season 02:06:50.692 --> 02:06:57.575 - yet, but you're gonna get four incredible tickets to IU women's basketball late December. Two seats 02:06:57.575 --> 02:06:58.814 - are on the court. 02:06:59.586 --> 02:07:06.841 - and then two seats are close by. We're talking like the red chairs and two regular seats will be at 02:07:06.841 --> 02:07:14.387 - center court. So a couple red chairs on the court, couple other seats at center court. All of them will 02:07:14.387 --> 02:07:21.643 - be in section K row five and you're gonna get parking included in this. So let's go, come on, watch 02:07:21.643 --> 02:07:29.406 - Coach Terry Morin. She's gonna throw in a signed basketball, a fever swag bag, and a signed fever t-shirt. 02:07:29.698 --> 02:07:35.474 - Signed shirts. Courtside tickets for IU. Caitlin Clark in Indianapolis. That's a fun night, ladies and 02:07:35.474 --> 02:07:41.081 - gentlemen. Probably a fun couple weeks time period. Somebody give me a thousand like that to go see 02:07:41.081 --> 02:07:44.894 - Caitlin. $1,000 and then come back and watch IU women's basketball. 02:07:45.666 --> 02:07:52.133 - How about 5, there's a thousand right there, I'll take that bid. $1,000, I'm at $1,000, now $1,100. 02:07:52.133 --> 02:07:58.535 - Anybody go $1,100, $1,100, $1,100. Got it, now $1,200. Little bit of $1,200, anybody go to $1,200. 02:07:58.535 --> 02:08:05.196 - Now $13, $13, now $14, sir. Little bit of $14, one time, anybody go to $14. $14, now $1,500. Look over 02:08:05.196 --> 02:08:11.728 - at $15, anybody at $15. $16, now $17. $17, now $18. $1,800, there it is now. $19, little bit of $19, 02:08:11.728 --> 02:08:13.086 - now $2,000. Now $21. 02:08:14.242 --> 02:08:20.539 - 2,000, now 21, sir. A little bit of one, one time. Anybody got a 100? I got it now, $2,200. A little 02:08:20.539 --> 02:08:26.836 - bit of two, anybody got a 200? 2,200. You guys can go together. I take your 2,200. Now three, 2,300. 02:08:26.836 --> 02:08:33.132 - A little bit of three, now four. $2,400. 25, sir. A little bit of five, one time. Anybody got a 500? 02:08:33.132 --> 02:08:39.367 - Now 600. Got six, now 700. A little bit of seven, anybody got a $700? One time, 800. Yeah, but W-8, 02:08:39.367 --> 02:08:42.110 - one time. 800, 2,800. The Red Seats, 2,800. 02:08:43.746 --> 02:08:49.451 - You too would look fantastic in the red seats. You really would, $2,800. There it is, now nine, little 02:08:49.451 --> 02:08:55.101 - bit of nine, nine to nine to nine. You would look fantastic in the red seat too, sir. I just want you 02:08:55.101 --> 02:09:00.861 - to know that. 2,900, now $3,000, little bit of three, little bit of 3,000, now one. 31 one time, little 02:09:00.861 --> 02:09:06.455 - bit of one, little bit of 100, now $200, 3,200. I'm at 31 in the back, now 32. You want to come back 02:09:06.455 --> 02:09:12.382 - in at 3,200. I'm at 31, now two, one, now two, little bit of two, anybody go to two. Going once at $3,100. 02:09:12.866 --> 02:09:25.567 - We're going twice at 3,100. Last chance, ma'am. I've sold right back here $3,100 to bidder number 407. 02:09:25.567 --> 02:09:36.542 - Folks, that was incredible generosity. Give yourselves a big hand one more time, please. 02:09:37.730 --> 02:09:43.855 - All right, we have one more thing tonight. That was a ton of fun. Thank you all so much for your generosity. 02:09:43.855 --> 02:09:50.037 - I don't even have to get the total, but I know that was the best auction we have ever had. So give yourselves 02:09:50.037 --> 02:09:52.734 - a round of applause. Awesome, awesome, awesome. 02:09:55.298 --> 02:10:00.484 - And so we've talked all night that it's 20 bucks a year to come to the Boys and Girls Club and we got 02:10:00.484 --> 02:10:05.722 - a really awesome sponsorship for our summer programs, but we need your help for after school programs. 02:10:05.722 --> 02:10:11.010 - It costs us 750 bucks to run an after school program and we're charging $20. Lots of those parents ante 02:10:11.010 --> 02:10:16.196 - in a little more if they can, but really we rely on community members like you. So tonight we're just 02:10:16.196 --> 02:10:18.942 - going to ask you to sponsor kids. So our goal tonight 02:10:19.074 --> 02:10:24.374 - is sponsoring 80 kids at $750 a kid. And I think we can do it. Last year we sponsored 76, so definitely 02:10:24.374 --> 02:10:29.623 - we can go over the top of that this year. And I can tell you that we've had record goals at this night 02:10:29.623 --> 02:10:34.821 - already, and so I feel really good about this evening and how we're gonna do this. So thank you ahead 02:10:34.821 --> 02:10:39.969 - of time, what we're going to do. And remember, you can pledge. You don't have to pay before you walk 02:10:39.969 --> 02:10:45.065 - out tonight. This is a pledge. You can make monthly payments for the next 12 months, whatever you'd 02:10:45.065 --> 02:10:49.040 - like to do. You can wait till the end of the year, but we want you to ante in 02:10:49.040 --> 02:10:53.962 - kids. And so when you say yes to sponsoring five kids or yes to sponsoring ten kids, you don't have 02:10:53.962 --> 02:10:58.883 - to walk out of here and pay that tonight. So we want you to be able to do what it is that you would 02:10:58.883 --> 02:11:04.051 - like to do to support kids and families tonight. So that's how we're going to end the evening. And Paul, 02:11:04.051 --> 02:11:08.973 - I know you have one question you always want to ask. Yeah, like this room is hot right now. So like 02:11:08.973 --> 02:11:14.091 - I'm going to ask this question. 80 kids is 60 grand. Who wants to do it? Just takes one of you 60 grand 02:11:14.091 --> 02:11:17.438 - and we're going for the dessert table right now. 60 grand one time. 02:11:17.794 --> 02:11:22.738 - All right, time to ask, all right. Here we go. Someday somebody's gonna do that. Someday somebody's 02:11:22.738 --> 02:11:27.930 - gonna raise their hand. That's gonna be an exciting moment. All right, let's go to the first level we're 02:11:27.930 --> 02:11:33.023 - gonna start at tonight, ladies and gentlemen. This is a chance to sponsor 15 kids. It's a big ask, but 02:11:33.023 --> 02:11:37.918 - it's a special ask. It's a special ask based on everything you've been seeing and hearing tonight. 02:11:38.114 --> 02:11:46.064 - about this incredible program. If there's anybody in here or more than one person that would like to 02:11:46.064 --> 02:11:53.935 - sponsor 15 kids, that would be $11,250 to take care of 15 kids. Is there anybody that would like to 02:11:53.935 --> 02:12:00.862 - do that tonight? $11,250. One sponsor gets us well on the way to those 80 kids tonight. 02:12:03.234 --> 02:12:10.076 - Paul, we actually have an anonymous donor who's going to sponsor 15 kids and start us off at $11,250 02:12:10.076 --> 02:12:17.122 - tonight. How about that, ladies and gentlemen? Anybody want to match that? All right. Well, we are well 02:12:17.122 --> 02:12:24.371 - on our way. What a generous, we'll take that and we'll call that a phone in bid from an anonymous sponsor. 02:12:24.371 --> 02:12:25.726 - Absolutely love it. 02:12:26.850 --> 02:12:35.164 - Okay, let's go to our next level, which is 10 kids for $7,500. Is there anybody that would like to take 02:12:35.164 --> 02:12:43.478 - care of 10 kids this year? Raise your paddle, 10 kids, right here. Bidder number 365. Let's get a round 02:12:43.478 --> 02:12:51.392 - of applause folks, thank you so much. 365, incredible, thank you. Anybody else like to do 10 kids? 02:12:51.392 --> 02:12:54.750 - Right here, bidder number 376, thank you. 02:12:56.322 --> 02:13:07.087 - Ma'am, you make sure Allison takes you to that dinner. You know what I'm saying? Like, that was generous. 02:13:07.087 --> 02:13:17.344 - Thank you. Anybody else is $7,500. Thank you both. Give them one more hand. That's incredible. Okay, 02:13:17.344 --> 02:13:23.742 - how about five kids for $3,750. You can take care of five kids 02:13:24.034 --> 02:13:39.505 - with a bid. Right here, bidder number 374. 374. Who else for five kids? Five kids, $3,750. Okay, give 02:13:39.505 --> 02:13:44.510 - her a hand. Thank you very much. 02:13:50.370 --> 02:14:01.869 - Okay, we are gonna move on to four kids for $3,000 even. Just need two people to say yes to this to 02:14:01.869 --> 02:14:13.368 - stay on course for our goal here. $3,000 for kids who'd like to take care of four kids. Right here, 02:14:13.368 --> 02:14:17.278 - bidder number 303. 303. One more? 02:14:19.458 --> 02:14:30.110 - 303, did you get that? Thank you. Anybody else? Thank you very much, ma'am, appreciate that. Okay, let's 02:14:30.110 --> 02:14:40.763 - move down to three kids for $2,250. $2,000, here we go, bidder number 317. Thank you, round of applause, 02:14:40.763 --> 02:14:47.966 - 309, thank you. Bidder number 309. Fantastic, thank you. Anybody else? 02:14:48.322 --> 02:14:57.785 - at the $2,250 level. Three kids. Thank you very much, both of you. Thank you. Next level, two kids, 02:14:57.785 --> 02:15:07.815 - $1,500. Who would like to take care of $1,500? Here we go. Hold them up high for me. Hold them up. Bidder 02:15:07.815 --> 02:15:12.830 - number 348. Thank you. Bidder number 325. Thank you. 02:15:13.186 --> 02:15:24.429 - Bidder number 385, thank you. Bidder number 302, thank you. Bidder number 388, thank you. Bidder number 02:15:24.429 --> 02:15:35.240 - 334, thank you. Anybody else at the 1500 level? Right here, bidder number 362, thank you very much. 02:15:35.240 --> 02:15:40.862 - Appreciate that, give them all a round of applause. 02:15:46.338 --> 02:15:55.947 - All right, one kid, one jailer. You sponsor one kid and look, we get a jailer, right? So here we go, 02:15:55.947 --> 02:16:05.365 - $750. You're taking care of a kid all year long here at the center. Here we go. Bidder number 304, 02:16:05.365 --> 02:16:11.454 - thank you. Bidder number 359, thank you. Bidder 448, thank you. 02:16:11.554 --> 02:16:22.139 - Bidder 344, thank you. Thank you, thank you. Bidder 351, thank you. Thank you so much. Bidder 405, 02:16:22.139 --> 02:16:33.046 - thank you. Thank you. Bidder 326, thank you. Thank you. Bidder 311, thank you. Thank you. Bidder 307, 02:16:33.046 --> 02:16:36.574 - thank you. Thank you, thank you. 02:16:36.770 --> 02:16:55.929 - Bitter 329, thank you. Bitter 441, thank you. Bitter 342, thank you. Bitter 445, thank you. Bitter 400, 02:16:55.929 --> 02:17:06.430 - thank you. Bitter 346, thank you. Bitter 371, thank you. 02:17:06.562 --> 02:17:17.043 - Bidder 426. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else? One kid. Bidder 401. Thank you. Anybody else? 418. 418. 02:17:17.043 --> 02:17:27.221 - Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else? Sneak on in. You're welcome. Come on in. The water is fine. Give 02:17:27.221 --> 02:17:36.190 - everybody a hand for that round. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So awesome. 02:17:37.026 --> 02:17:44.519 - All right, we're gonna give you just a few more opportunities here. If you would like to donate $500, 02:17:44.519 --> 02:17:51.865 - raise your paddle for a $500 donation. Right here, bidder number 355. Thank you. Thank you so much. 02:17:51.865 --> 02:17:59.726 - Thank you. Anybody else? $500. All right, let's go to 250. Anybody like to donate 250 to the club tonight? 02:17:59.726 --> 02:18:04.574 - Here we go. I love this. Bidder three, two, one. Jody, thank you. 02:18:05.250 --> 02:18:20.158 - Bidder 364, thank you. Bidder 419, thank you. Bidder 433, thank you. Bidder 422, thank you. 02:18:20.258 --> 02:18:29.887 - Thank you. Bidder 357, thank you. Thank you, thank you. Bidder 459, thank you. Thank you. Bidder 409, 02:18:29.887 --> 02:18:39.611 - thank you. Thanks, Megan. Bidder 461, thank you. Anybody else at the 250 level? Awesome. Give them all 02:18:39.611 --> 02:18:45.086 - a big hand, please. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. 02:18:48.930 --> 02:18:55.862 - All right. Last two chances. If you'd like to make a hundred dollar donation tonight, raise your paddle. 02:18:55.862 --> 02:19:02.661 - One hundred dollars. Here we go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, I love this. We're starting over 02:19:02.661 --> 02:19:09.329 - here. Three, three, six. Thank you. Thank you. Three, nine, one. Thank you. Thank you. Three, three, 02:19:09.329 --> 02:19:15.006 - zero. Thank you. Thank you. Four, zero, eight. Thank you. Four, two, nine. Thank you. 02:19:15.554 --> 02:19:38.431 - 449 thank you. 392 thank you. 437 thank you. 310 thank you. 331 thank you. 360 thank you. 328 thank 02:19:38.431 --> 02:19:43.006 - you. 343 thank you. 02:19:43.106 --> 02:19:58.110 - Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 02:19:58.242 --> 02:20:06.975 - Thank you. 425, thank you. Thank you. 387, thank you. Thank you. 305, thank you. Awesome, thank you. 02:20:06.975 --> 02:20:15.967 - 306, thank you. Thanks, Gracie. 367, thank you. Thank you. 354, thank you. Thank you. Good job, Justin. 02:20:15.967 --> 02:20:24.959 - And 381, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Anybody else at the 100? Give them all a big hand. 02:20:24.959 --> 02:20:28.158 - Awesome, awesome. Thank you so much. 02:20:31.650 --> 02:20:41.311 - That's awesome. And our last shot, $50. Raise your paddle if you'd like to donate $50. Here we go. Thank 02:20:41.311 --> 02:20:50.881 - you so much. Bidder 386. Thank you. Thank you. Bidder 340, thank you. Wonderful, thank you. Bidder 363, 02:20:50.881 --> 02:21:00.266 - thank you. Thank you. Bidder 380, thank you. Bidder 437, thank you. Thank you, thank you. Bidder 398, 02:21:00.266 --> 02:21:01.278 - thank you. 02:21:02.242 --> 02:21:10.355 - Give them all a hand, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much. Folks, the generosity in this room tonight 02:21:10.355 --> 02:21:18.622 - was unbelievable. Thank you for making this auction incredible. God bless you all. Keep doing great things. 02:21:25.954 --> 02:21:31.163 - Awesome, awesome. Thank you so much. What an exciting night. I know they're frantically totaling so 02:21:31.163 --> 02:21:36.529 - we can tell you how much that we've raised. But before we end the evening, I just got to do some thank 02:21:36.529 --> 02:21:41.790 - yous. Darcy, Rebecca, Kate, wave at me. These are awesome staff. We have some amazing staff that run 02:21:41.790 --> 02:21:44.030 - our clubs and put on these awesome events. 02:21:44.354 --> 02:21:49.691 - They do a ton of work behind the scenes, and we cannot do it without you. You all know it takes a team. 02:21:49.691 --> 02:21:54.925 - All of you work with teams, and they're fantastic. The best there is. If you're a Boys and Girls Club 02:21:54.925 --> 02:22:00.210 - staff, wave at me. Any staff in the audience, wave at me. Let's get a round of applause for our staff. 02:22:00.210 --> 02:22:05.495 - Got all our great staff here. Huge thank you. Thank you to Miss Latonya for hosting us at the Ferguson 02:22:05.495 --> 02:22:08.574 - Cresmont Club. We appreciate you, ma'am. Thank you so much. 02:22:10.914 --> 02:22:15.907 - All right. For those of you that bid tonight, on your tables there are pens and underneath those pens 02:22:15.907 --> 02:22:20.803 - there are express checkout forms. They're upside down. You can turn them over and pass them around. 02:22:20.803 --> 02:22:25.699 - But if you do not want to get stuck in line tonight making payments at the checkout tables, you can 02:22:25.699 --> 02:22:30.888 - fill out those express checkout forms and you can drop them in that table back there by the water bottles 02:22:30.888 --> 02:22:35.294 - and the sign back by that door. You are welcome to pay this evening. We are ready to take 02:22:35.362 --> 02:22:40.934 - Take any payments you would like to make at the checkout tables where you checked in, but you do not 02:22:40.934 --> 02:22:46.616 - need to pay tonight. If you want to make a pledge, we will invoice you. We will talk to you about your 02:22:46.616 --> 02:22:52.133 - payment options later. Go ahead and fill out those express checkout forms before you leave tonight, 02:22:52.133 --> 02:22:57.760 - and that'll make it as convenient as we can make it for you. All right. As you're doing that, you can 02:22:57.760 --> 02:23:03.166 - pull your raffle tickets out, because we are going to draw some raffle winners. And... All right. 02:23:03.650 --> 02:23:10.069 - Dana, you want to help me draw some raffle winners up here? I think we should get Dana's sparkly jacket 02:23:10.069 --> 02:23:16.674 - up here to draw the raffle winners up. Come on up here, Dana. All right, everybody has their blue tickets. 02:23:16.674 --> 02:23:22.908 - Are you ready? We're going to draw out some raffles. So the first one that we are going to draw is a 02:23:22.908 --> 02:23:29.328 - Citizen Watch, valued at $250, donated by board member Lori Todd. So thank you. This will be an awesome 02:23:29.328 --> 02:23:33.278 - raffle prize. Dana, come read us our ticket. Seven, five, nine. 02:23:33.506 --> 02:23:42.649 - 0-3-0. We got a winner. Kate's going to run you out your watch. All right. The next one we have is a 02:23:42.649 --> 02:23:51.702 - lovely gift basket from Oliver Winery. They sponsored our bar tonight and they threw in this basket 02:23:51.702 --> 02:24:00.574 - for us. So who is the lucky winner, Dana? Very nice. We have 7-5-9-1-5-4. Who is it? 7-5-9-1-5-4. 02:24:00.738 --> 02:24:07.244 - Love it. Hey, you'll have a nice gift, Natty. All right, the third raffle item is an IU football signed 02:24:07.244 --> 02:24:13.500 - by Khalil Benson, number 67. Yep, right tackle of the Hoosiers. He's at Chiefs mini camp right now, 02:24:13.500 --> 02:24:19.756 - so we're sending him all of our prayers and blessings, but we're excited about Khalil, so let's see 02:24:19.756 --> 02:24:24.510 - who wins this ball. All right, we've got seven, five, nine, two, two, five. 02:24:29.922 --> 02:24:37.371 - Oh yeah, your boys are gonna love that, Carmen. His boys are club kids, so they're gonna really appreciate 02:24:37.371 --> 02:24:44.821 - that ball, aren't they? Awesome. All right, we have a signed book from our keynote speaker, Jody Norgaard, 02:24:44.821 --> 02:24:51.852 - more than a doll. Let's have a round of applause for Jody one more time. And then let's see who gets 02:24:51.852 --> 02:24:58.814 - this book, Dana. All right, we've got 759153. Who is it? Lucky winner. 759153, that table is lucky. 02:24:59.394 --> 02:25:08.230 - I love it all right and then our last raffle prize of the night is a signed basketball from our IU basketball 02:25:08.230 --> 02:25:16.342 - coach DeVries let's see who gets the signed basketball all right we've got seven five nine zero zero 02:25:16.342 --> 02:25:18.270 - nine all right congrats 02:25:32.418 --> 02:25:41.636 - All right, thanks Dana. We're doing some quick math on our totals. Okay, are you ready to hear how much 02:25:41.636 --> 02:25:50.943 - we raised tonight? We can celebrate before I tell you, but we know it's gonna be a good one. Our auction 02:25:50.943 --> 02:25:59.806 - raised $20,000. Awesome. Our fund to need raised $70,000. Which means we sponsored 92 kids tonight. 02:26:04.834 --> 02:26:13.593 - The goal for the whole evening with sponsors and everything combined was $110,000 and we raised $125,600. 02:26:13.593 --> 02:26:21.939 - I am always so in awe at this community and the way you say yes to kids. Thank you so much for being 02:26:21.939 --> 02:26:30.449 - here. Thank you so much for supporting kids and thank you for a wonderful evening. Have a lovely night 02:26:30.449 --> 02:26:32.350 - everybody. Good night.