Boys & Girls Clubs to honor first 'Wall of Inspiration' inductees | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

Mr. Casey, now retired as longtime executive editor of Capital Gazette Newspapers, said he was too busy to get involved in a start-up operation.

His lunch companion was the persuasive Archie Avedesian, director of the Washington area Boys & Girls Club. Mr. Casey had never heard of Mr. Avedesian when "he called out of the blue" and invited him to the lunch back then.

But then Mr. Casey discovered they had both grown up in Binghamton, N.Y., and they had both belonged to the same boys club there. Mr. Casey had joined that city club because it had a basketball court and a nice gym. It cost him only a quarter a year to be a member.

So he became a founding member, and the first president of the board of what is now the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County.

"The first club in Anne Arundel County started at Bywater Mutual Homes in a little room in the community building. It was a success almost instantly," said the 76-year-old Mr. Casey.

Tomorrow, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County will honor Mr. Casey and three others during its 20th annual Ed Casey Youth of the Year Awards Dinner. The dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m., at the newest club located at the Wiley H. Bates Heritage Park. The four honorees will become the first members of the club's "Wall of Inspiration."

"What's important about Ed Casey, is he went on from the Boys Club in Binghamton to become a sportswriter, editor, inductee in the Journalism Hall of Fame," said Reggie Broddie, chief professional officer for the five area clubs. "He was a poor kid from New York who achieved a lot. He's an inspiration."

"I think it's fantastic, I'm really pleased to get it," said Mr. Casey, who already has a list of people he wants to thank, starting with the business community for its support over 18 years.

Honorees also include LaVerne Gucker, Betty Turner and Shawna Williams. Ms. Williams, 28, is the youngest Wall of Inspiration inductee. Photos of the honorees will be placed on a prominent hallway in the Bates Club, forming the first of an eventual parade of adults to whom the young club members can look for inspiration.

Mr. Casey said he recalls the valuable impact the Boys Club of Binghamton had on his life.

"When I formed the first board of directors, Betty and LaVerne were on it. They were the best we everhad," said Mr. Casey, endorsing his fellow honorees.

During his tenure with the local clubs, he was very much committed to ensuring the children served by the clubs had the very best computers, uniforms and programs. He said he didn't want them to have hand-me-

downs.

Mr. Broddie said Mr. Casey's involvement with the clubs is inspirational. "Here is a man who doesn't look like many of the kids he's so passionate for. All he wanted for any kid we served was for them to experience success. He didn't have to do that. He just didn't.

"Ninety-eight percent of the kids we serve are African-American kids. For someone who's not African-American to take them on as his life's work is pretty inspirational to me as an African-American. He will always have a special place in my heart for that," Mr. Broddie said.

And, regarding Ms. Gucker, over the years her mission was to "introduce and instill the idea of college to our kids," he said. The club programs encouraged its members to finish high school and aspire to a college education. But, Mr. Broddie explained, the clubs didn't have the funds to pay for college costs.

Ms. Gucker, a top Realtor for Coldwell Banker, was one of the clubs' founders. Also a president in the early years, Ms. Gucker was instrumental in opening branches at Freetown, Meade Village and Van Bokkelen. She quietly used her own finances to ensure that more than 30 club members finished their college educations.

"Some of the kids don't know it was LaVerne. She didn't want them to give up and use the lack of finances as an excuse. She made sure they had the resources," Mr. Broddie said.

Betty Turner was also one of the original seven founders.

"She was the program chair and helped shape and develop programs. She created gender-specific, and after-school programs. She felt it was important for the girls to have their own identity and services," Mr. Broddie said.

Shawna Williams, a former member of the Bywater Club who became involved with the girls club in second grade, lives in Woodbridge, Va., and is now a senior software engineer for Lockheed Martin, specializing in submarine systems. She volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club in Manassas, Va., and is one of the youth to whom Ms. Gucker gave financial assistance years ago.

Ms. Williams was the only teen so far, to earn Youth of the Year three years in a row. She was the first local Youth of the Year to win the state competition in 1995. She developed an impressive resume of volunteer service with the clubs before she went on to Clark Atlanta University. She graduated in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in computer science.

"She's given herself, her time and her love to the kids here," noted Mr. Broddie.

Ms. Williams said to her the club "meant a place to get away. Somewhere to be a kid and have fun. They also had plenty of opportunities to learn and I loved learning."

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Wendi Wintrers is a freelance writer who lives on the Broadneck Peninsula.