The Mahomet Area Youth Club stepped up for families in Mahomet in the whirlwind of 2020. Now, the club needs the community’s support.
In uncertain times, MAYC adapted and stepped up, providing summer care for children whose parents needed to work. Then, as schools re-opened, the club served junior high students who needed a place to be during the day, whether they chose the hybrid learning plan or were fully remote.
Even as the district moved to four day in-person school, MAYC offered an educational space for remote teenage learners and an afterschool program to close out the day.
But with the uncertainty of fundraising efforts throughout the year and with the increase of costs: running full-time programming during the school year while also covering additional costs of cleaning supplies, MAYC is hoping that the community will continue to step up to the plate at their annual auction in March.
Because of COVID-19 mitigation measures, the auction that typically draws hundreds of people, will go virtual with a week-long silent auction opening on March 1 and a live 1-hour auction event on March 6.
“Registration is free, but you have to be registered in order to be able to bid on any of those things,” MAYC Director Sara Balgoyen said. “And if you make a donation of $150 prior to March, you get dessert and wine delivered to your home.”
The idea is to keep the fundraiser simple and continue to support MAYC as they seek to develop, support and encourage youth in the community for lifelong success.
Dollars raised helps MAYC proves 300 scholarships for BLAST, Kid’s Club, and Out of School Programming, sponsor a free after-school program at Mahomet-Seymour Junior High, support vocational jobs program at the high school, fund Bulldog Makers at the high school, share their facilities with ATLAS and host all-day programming during summer, winter, and spring break.
MAYC has also received a grant to provide diversity programming, partnering with other organizations in Champaign and Urbana, and mindfulness training for the teenage students.
Local businesses and individuals have come through with both annual hot-ticket items and new creations for the silent and live auction. Many of those items will be previewed in the coming weeks on the MAYC Facebook page.
Balgoyen said that the format of this year’s auction will provide an opportunity for others, some with kids at home or those who live in another state, to participate in an event they may not have been able to attend before. She also said that she can see how this year’s adjustments could provide new opportunities in the future.
