BY VANESSA ECHOLS
FOR THE OBSERVER
EAST ALABAMA — The Boys and Girls Clubs of East Alabama is gearing up for its second major fundraiser of the year, and this one relies on audience participation.
For the first time, the clubs will host Keys for Kids, a very different type of fundraiser for our area. The event features audience members requesting songs and musicians facing off in a piano duel. Boys and Girls Clubs Director of Operations AJ Harris said he wants this fundraiser to have a unique party feel.
“[We will] have three musicians, two pianists and a drummer, and they [will] take song requests,” Harris said. “So, you’ll able to request a song, give a little donation and the musicians will play that. It’s dueling pianos. They’ll do some jokes and stuff. It’s like a comedy show, karaoke and live entertainment, all in one.”
The East Alabama Clubs held the dueling piano event in Troy last year, and already had plans to bring it to Opelika this year. Harris said the goal is to reach a wider audience of people who might not be familiar with the impact the Boys and Girls Clubs has on the community.
“It’s all about exposure, all about getting people looped into the movement and understand what we do,” Harris said. “I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about what Boys and Girls Clubs can do. So, we’re hoping people who come to the event will see the young people, talk to them and through those conversations, they’ll see how vital we are to the community.”
The Boys and Girls Clubs of East Alabama provides after school programs for students from elementary to high school. It includes tutoring, mentoring, college prep courses, financial literacy and helping young people be prepared for the workforce. There are currently Clubhouses in Opelika, Auburn and Troy.
The Keys for Kids event will be Sept. 24, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Spring Villa Lodge in Opelika. Tickets for the event are available on the organization’s website at www.bgceastal.org/
