Scenes from Dream Day 2025
MLK Dream on the Move
Pastor Carolyn Morton and the Samford Community Outreach Group hosted the 9th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dream On The Move event on Jan. 20 at Christian Care Ministries, 1000 Samford Court, Opelika. This year’s theme was ”Love and Unity.” Guest speakers were Evangelist Debra and Minister Lowe. Attendees included Minister Lucile Gray, Lillie Smith, Allison Duke of the Opelika Police Department and Pastor Tom Tippett.
Boys & Girls Club hosts MLK Day of Service
Renovated spaces unveiled at Jan. 20 ceremony
The Boys & Girls Club of East Alabama refreshed its decor and enhanced technology equipment.
BY LOGAN HURSTON FOR THE OBSERVER
EAST ALABAMA — The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
The Boys & Girls Club of East Alabama took that message to heart Jan. 19-20, as volunteers helped renovate and modernize its spaces for teens. They painted walls, moved furniture and set up electronics to improve space for club members. All this hard work culminated on the night of Jan. 20. In the spirit of MLK Day and in celebration of the Boys & Girls Club of East Alabama’s 35 years of serving the community, the club held a ceremony to celebrate the new spaces.
Boys & Girls Club of East Alabama President and CEO Richard B. Curry Jr., Auburn Mayor Ron Anders and Boys & Girls Club of America President and CEO Jim Clark spoke to the crowd which gathered for the event. They highlighted the importance of giving children opportunities to succeed.
“Recently our community was recognized by the Milken Institute as one of the 10 best-run small cities in the United States,” said Anders. “But if the Milken Institute also had a recognition of the 10 best cities that had great nonprofits that operated and served the people of their community, I believe we’d be number one.”
During the ceremony, Auburn clubhouse Youth of the Year recipient George Woods spoke on everything he has learned during his time in the club. He also had the honor of introducing the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of America to the podium.
“What Boys & Girls Club do here and across the country is pretty simple: We level the playing field for younger people,” said Clark. “The difference between those who have and those who are two things — experience and opportunity. When kids have those experiences and opportunities, they can go on to be anything they want to be, and their zip code doesn’t have to define what their future looks like.”
One of the spaces at the clubhouse that was renovated is the “total teen takeover room.” What used to be a basic room with some round tables and computer desks was transformed into a comfortable hangout spot for teenagers to socialize and be creative. The room features a stage at the front of the room for expression and semi-circle couches in the back. Some of the computers from the previous room make their return in case a club member needs one for homework. The room also has video games for club members, as well as a snack area in the back. Some of the walls have been repainted, with the wall by the snack area featuring a bird flying to a tree with “New Heights” engraved in the leaves.
The other room that was refurbished was the gaming room. That room features multiple Nintendo Switches and Play Station 5s for the club members to play on and some gaming PCs for the kids to use. The room has been repainted green and features a neon hand and controller hanging on the wall. The room has plenty of spaces where youths can share and be able to play with their friends or separately.
For more information on the Boys & Girls Club of East Alabama, check out their app of the same name on the App Store or visit the website: www.bcgeastal.org.
