Classic Plumbing PLUMBER of the Month: Kailey Breedlove

BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com

Each month, Tim Culver, owner of Classic Plumbing recognizes a community member who is giving back in extraordinary ways. Culver believes that there is always something good happening in every community, and that there are ordinary people behind each good deed. These stories are meant to capture the essence of humanity, to make sure that we are capturing the good moments, the forward movement in both the heart of the community and the heart of the people within it. 

Kailey Breedlove is a special kid.

Maybe she already knew that, but it was reconfirmed on Saturday when she was presented the Mahomet Area Youth Club’s Youth of the Year Award during MAYC’s 25th Year Celebration.

The selection of Kailey for the award was not done haphazardly. During the summer of 2019, the MAYC staff was intentional in watching junior high-aged students who were contributing to the community.

“Even as young as junior high, you can be a leader, and you can be contributing to the positive environment of MAYC,” Executive Director Sara Balgoyen said.

“We had a couple volunteer board members over the summer that would come do some programs with us and that was when we identified Kailey as the person they wanted to give the award to,” Balgoyen said. “Several adults noticed that she was being awesome.”

As an eighth-grader, Kailey has been coming to MAYC’s junior high programming for three years. In elementary school, she took advantage of MAYC’s after school B.L.A.S.T. programs where she took dance, crochet and French.

A soft-spoken teenager, Kailey is known as the “sweet heart” of her family.

“She’s always thoughtful,” her grandmother, Trina Breedlove said.

Kailey’s grandparents drove from Florida to Illinois to be with their granddaughter as she was being celebrated. 

“We weren’t going to miss it,” Trina said.

Going into MAYC on Friday morning, Kailey thought she was just in for a day at the club as school was not in session. Right before 9 a.m., as her grandparents, mom and sister walked into the building, Balgoyen told her the good news.

“I was kind of confused at first because I didn’t really know what it was,” Kailey said. “And then whenever they told me, I got really excited.”

Kailey learned that adults noticed that she was following instructions, taking extra steps to help out and being kind to her peers and to younger club members.

Taking the time to form bonds with the younger children is something that is very important to Kailey. 

On Friday morning as the group sat in a circle to play games, Kailey had a fellow club member on her lap.

Those bonds are taken beyond the club walls, too.

“We were watching her play soccer, and the interaction; kids were coming up to her at the soccer game that come here and just would give her a big hug,” Trina said.

Kailey said that other kids her age sometimes leave the younger ones out.

“I want everyone to be included,” she said. 

Balgoyen added that age doesn’t matter when it comes to Kailey.

“It doesn’t matter who’s here,” Balgoyen said. “She is able to help and hang out. She helps me on a lot of things and, and I think I help her on some things, too.”

Adults who know her can’t say enough about how special she is.

“She can be so quiet, but yet she’s always thinking, you can just see her thinking,” Trina said.