Her benefit takes the cake
‘Teaghan’s 12 Months of Birthdays Challenge’ raises over $10,000
Teaghan Sullivan is the inspiration behind a community-wide fundraising challenge that to date has raised over $10,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Lunenburg.
Teaghan, 13, a regular at the club, decided to ask her friends and family to make small monetary donations to the club in place of giving her gifts for her birthday last summer. Over $400 was collected, which was the second time a young member took it upon themselves to raise funds for the club. Club member and sixth grader Katie Daykin collected returnable cans and bottles over the summer last year and left her $20 donation with a handmade
card on the door at the club.
“We were personally so moved to see that (Katie) felt so strongly about her club that we asked her if she would mind if we made it a community challenge,” said Executive Director Michelle Belleza.
‘Katie’s 20 Days of Giving’ was born, and Katie and her friend and fellow club member Casey Corey collected returnable can and bottle donations from the community. Katie’s family helped the girls redeem the cans and bottles, and Comcast matched the amount the girls were able to raise.
“At the end of the 20 days, Katie and her challenge had raised over $2,000 for the club she loves so much,” Belleza said.
Not long afterwards Teaghan was moved to make her selfless act, and Belleza said they asked her for her permission to create another fundraising challenge.
“We were so inspired by the leadership and initiative of these young people, we found ourselves being led by the kids,” Belleza said. “We asked Teaghan for her blessing to create another community-wide challenge, whereby friends of the club could pledge to commit their Facebook birthday fundraisers to the club. She was very excited, and ‘ Teaghan’s 12 Months of Birthdays Challenge’ was created.”
So far, more than 30 people have pledged to take Teaghan’s challenge, and 12 supporters have raised thousands of dollars for the club. Teaghan joined the Boys & Girls Club upon entering sixth grade “after yearning to be old enough to attend the after-school programs when she was younger,” Belleza said.
The club, which opened in 2005, was forced to close its doors to members last March when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, much to the chagrin of the young attendees who were used to spending a lot of time there.
“Teaghan, now a seventh grader at Lunenburg Middle School, gained independence and made numerous friends while taking advantage of the many opportunities the club offered her, but then the lights went dark in March 2020,” Belleza said. “She missed seeing her friends in person, and of sharing stories of art, cooking and games with her parents.
Despite feeling sad with the club closed, she became powerful against the powerless (and) started a movement.”
Belleza said that while they were “never in danger” of closing their doors forever, the COVID-19 pandemic presented them with challenges they had never faced before.
“(Program Director) Brent DeBraga immediately turned the program virtual, maintaining a nearly seamless connection with our kids and families,” Belleza said. “Our staff fully supported this initiative, and for the first seven weeks, we were able to serve our members in a capacity we had never considered before.”
Club staff implemented virtual programming as way to maintain engagement and communication for the more than 175 youth served by the organization every year. #VirtualBGCL “offered the opportunity for a bit of normalcy during a very difficult time for members,” Belleza said, with cooking classes, games, meetings and movie parties – “all while adjusting to a life spent in quarantine.”
“However, one immediate challenge was funding,” she continued. “We were forced to cancel various fundraisers, including our flagship event, the ‘Are You Smarter Than Our 6th Graders?’ live gameshow, which has raised over $25,000 in each of the past several years.”
When the difficult decision was made to cancel the virtual programming due to dwindling funds, Belleza said members and families reached out to offer their support — including Katie, Casey, and Teaghan.
“The club is really important to me,” Teaghan said. “It makes me happy to come here after school. I know that the club couldn’t do a lot of the fundraising it usually does so I know it was important for the club. It makes me feel good to see others follow my footsteps and raise money for a place that not only they go to, or their kids go to, but a lot of other kids as well. I’m happy to see so many people using their birthdays to help the club.”
Teaghan is now able to attend the Boys & Girls Club in person two days a week with the same group of members and friends — the club reopened Oct. 13 last year, seven months to the date of their COVID closing.
Teaghan Sullivan is now able to attend the Boys & Girls Club in-person two days a week, including doing art classes.DeBraga said the staff are deeply touched and moved by the efforts of the young club members to support a place that is near and dear to their hearts.
“It inspired the staff to know how much the kids are invested and care about the club,” he said. “Teaghan’s efforts inspired members and staff. Knowing we have members this dedicated and invested makes us work even harder.”
According to DeBraga, 54% of Boys & Girls Club alumni report that the club saved their lives.
“The club gives all kids a place where they belong, and something to be part of,” he said. “Many of our former club kids will tell you that the club made a significant impact in their lives and helped them become who they are today, someone they can be proud of. These kids deserve these same opportunities, and that is why it is so important, and even more than that it is actually necessary, to continue providing a place for the kids to go after school.”
Belleza said she and DeBrega “might both be a little teary talking about this.”
“It’s because it’s so true, and it means so much,” she said. “We are so proud of what we have built, because the kids truly embrace it, and continue to do so even after aging out of the program. We love seeing our members finish school and start the next chapter of their lives while staying connected to the club. It’s a second home, and a second family, and that never ends — even when you’re too old to be a member.”
To support ‘ Teaghan’s 12 Months of Birthdays Challenge’ visit https:// bit.ly/2Qungdy, and for more information visit h tt p : / / b g c l u b o f l u n e n - burg.org/wp/.