Building on last year’s success, the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County will once again be hosting the Steak ‘n’ Burger fundraiser later this year.

The event is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Club. This year the Club hopes to raise $40,000 with the event. As the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, the success of this event is crucial to the Club’s ability to provide for the growing number of youth in need of its programs.

The event gets its name from the fact that attendees get the chance to enjoy burgers while dining alongside Club members who enjoy a special steak dinner. The idea behind this special setup is to focus the event on the kids that the Club and the fundraiser provide for. In addition to sitting at the tables with attendees, the Club members will also serve as emcees, tour guides, and greeters for the event.

“This event is truly for our kids, and we want them to be a part of every minute,” said Elizabeth Williams, Resource Development and Marketing Director for the Boys & Girls Club. “It’s a great opportunity for them, and it also shows people exactly what they’re supporting and what the Club is all about.”

For Club members, participating in the event means they get to interact with community leaders, practice their table manners, and, for some, even speak on stage. While Steak ‘n’ Burgers are not new to Boys & Girls Clubs nationally, the event was introduced in Elizabethton in 2016. The inaugural event saw wide success, bringing in around $38,000 for Club programs.

This year, John Currie, the newly-named Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, will highlight the dinner as a special guest speaker. While Currie has a strong history at UT, he is well known for his time at Kansas State where he led the athletics department to eight years of unprecedented success not only in athletics but also with academics and fundraising. Currie began his new duties at Tennessee in April of this year. This event will be the first time he has publicly spoken in this area since taking on his new role.

“We are so thankful to have Currie speaking,” Williams said. “He is known for his integrity and hard work and will be a great representative for our cause.”

The presenting sponsor for this year’s Steak ‘n’ Burger is Citizens Bank. Other sponsors who have signed up to support the event so far are Carter County Bank, Tetrick Funeral & Cremation Services, Sycamore Shoals Hospital, Physical Therapy Services, Charlie Long — Allstate Insurance, Jonathan Street of Edward Jones, Northeast Community Credit Union, and SecureTest. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the event.

Having sponsors for the event helps increase the proceeds which the Club will raise through the event, and with a growing number of children participating in the Club, every dollar counts.

Over the last few years, the Club has seen significant growth. What started with around 30 youth a day in 2013 has now become over 170 on average during the summer months.

“There is a real need in our community for a quality Club experience,” said Ginny Wright, Executive Director of the Club. “Every day we serve kids who need meals, mentors, and anyone who just needs a safe place to be.”

During the summer, the Club is open 12 hours a day and provides a robust meal program with breakfast, lunch, and a snack. The summer program also provides two or three field trips for every child each week, targeted STEM activities, reading programs, and healthy exercises and games to get kids moving. The low cost of attendance only covers a small portion of these resources according to Wright.

“We won’t allow cost to be an obstacle for families,” Wright said. “This means we keep our fees low and offer reduced rates for families who need it, but it also requires that we generate funding to support our work.”

Funds to support the Club are raised through individual contributions, grants, corporate partnerships, and special events — and as the Club’s largest event, Steak ‘n’ Burger is a significant part of the Club’s ability to serve the youth who need its afterschool and summer programs.

If you would like to support the Steak ‘n’ Burger, tickets and sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Elizabeth Williams at (423) 543-2946 or online at www.bgcecc.org/steaknburger.